KievaLynn's Season Three
by KievaLynn
Summary: The Guardians encounter a new enemy, a threat that has their families square in it's sights. Also, a new direction for Elyon after Nerissia's theft of her powers. UPDATE! Epilogue up! Complete!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Author's Notes: What you are about to read is the first part of my own ideas for what the third season of W.I.T.C.H. could have been. This is based off of the cartoon, not the books or comics, about which I know nothing at all.

Prologue: The Dark Watchers

All through the war the spies were there. Slipping from shadow to shadow, watching, observing. The battle between Prince Phobos and the Guardians stretched on for many months, yet through it all they observed and waited. By the time Elyon was freed and Phobos imprisoned in the infinite city, they decided their data was complete. A silent call went forth from the leader, and they quickly gathered in the tunnels south of Torus Filney.

Aljax, entrusted with command of their mission, removed from his cloak a small triangular crystal, which he held aloft. Moments later a green portal opened in the veil. One by one the spies filed through. As was proper for one in command, Aljax passed through last, and the portal closed.

Safely back in his own world, Aljax hastened to the palace. His Empress welcomed him into the throne room with a smile, a terrible smile filled with madness and hunger. "Have you learned what we needed to know little one?"

"Yes, Dark Queen." He replied. "We observed the five guardians throughout their battle with Phobos, from their first arrival in Meridian, until the Prince's ultimate defeat. We have learned everything there is to know about the power each of them possesses. And, as an added bonus, we acquired some impressive data on the powers possessed by the new Meridian queen, Elyon."

"Excellent. For this loyal service, Aljax, I will let you live. Leave the data for me and go before I decide I'm hungry and change my mind."

Aljax ran. He honestly hadn't expected to survive delivering the intelligence on the Guardians. The Queen allowed so few to live. Perhaps he could now hope to be a part of the battle when the assault on Kandrakar's champions began. Aljax smiled at the thought…


	2. Episode One Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode One: "Suspicions" Chapter One

"Will?" Susan shouted for her daughter yet again. Where could she be? For that matter where was Susan herself? She looked all around yet saw only darkness and dense mist. "WILL!" She shouted, "Will! Where are you!"

A sound from the distance caught her ear. It sounded like Will's laugh. Panicked by the strangeness of the situation, fearing for Will's safety, Susan ran as fast as she could towards the sound. She arrived sooner than she expected. A high chain-link fence stood before her. Just to the other side were Will, her boyfriend Matt, and all of their friends.

Susan let out a sigh. Pent-up fears ebbed. Then she saw what they were doing. The teens were all sitting in a circle, and they were passing a smoking pipe between themselves. Susan couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had raised Will better than this! She began to shout, but they didn't seem to hear her. She shouted louder and louder, begging Will to stop, but got no answer. Soon Susan collapsed, tears filling her eyes.

Movement. Someone was standing over her. She looked up, blinking away the tears to see Will. "What's wrong Mother?" The girl sneered. "Don't like what my new friends have made of me?"

The buzzing of her morning alarm bought Susan out of the nightmare before she could wake up screaming. Again. The exact same dream eight nights in a row. Susan had never experienced dreams with real-world meaning, in fact didn't even believe in such things. Yet as she showered and dressed for work, she began to wonder… She couldn't believe Will would ever use drugs, no matter how bad the peer pressure might get. And besides that, her friends didn't seem the type either.

And yet… _Something_ had been going on since they moved to Heatherfield. Will kept quiet more, got in trouble more, cut school and missed curfew. What was going on? An idea occurred to Susan. She went down the hall and into Will's bedroom. In the middle desk drawer sat Will's diary. A little peek couldn't hurt, right?

"No." Susan whispered. "This is last resort. I won't invade her private thoughts unless nothing else will work." She closed the drawer and headed to work.

From across the infinite dimensions, Aljax watched Susan. They were so close. The dreams implanted by the mindquavers were working. Soon, soon the Guardian leader's mother, spurred on by fears for her daughter's life, would take actions which would lead, inexorably, to her discovering the truth. And then she would be fair game.

Sheffield Institute. Lunch hour. The large cafeteria resounded with conversation and laughter. Seated at their usual table were the five guardians and Matt across from Will. "How's your Mom Will?" He asked.

"She didn't wake up screaming this time, but I was listening outside her door when the alarm went off. She had been struggling and murmuring in her sleep."

"Murmuring?", Taranee asked. "About what?"

"I couldn't make it out," Will said. "It's too bad your telepathy only works between the five of us. One sleepover's all we'd need to find out what's been bugging her if you could hear other people too."

"Will, as much as I wanna help your mother I'm glad I don't hear everyone's thoughts. Something tells me I'd know a lot more than I _wanna_ know. Look, why don't you just _ask_ her?"

"Uh-uh. No way. I can hear her now. 'I'll tell you about my dreams if you tell me about your day.'" Will said. "And I can't just lie. Trust me, she'd know."

Irma grinned. "I can see how well that'd go over. 'Gee Mom, today I went to another planet and fought evil as a winged pixie.'"

Everyone laughed but Will. "C'mon Irma this is serious."

Irma's disposition softened a bit. "Sorry Will. I know you're really worried about her. But, maybe there's nothing to do. It could just be a bad dream. I've had a few whoppers that repeated on me over and over. Mostly involving Martin. They passed on their own after a week or so."

"Maybe." Will said. She didn't seem convinced.

Meridian. Elyon's palace. Caleb, Blunk, and Raythor stood by, watching as their young queen rose into the air. In the aftermath of Phobos' defeat she had seemed powerful and sure. Her flights had been smooth and graceful. Now, it was all she could do to hover a few feet off the ground.

Hovering, Elyon steadied herself and took aim at a large array of wooden targets shaped like Cedric, Phobos, and Nerissia. Spheres of pure white energy formed around each of her fists. The queen closed her eyes. "Light of Meridian!" She exclaimed, and unleashed all the power she could muster toward the targets.

In the same instant she released the energy wave, Elyon felt herself falling. She was saved from a rude landing by Caleb. "Careful." he said.

Raythor knelt down next to them. "Are you alright your majesty?" He asked.

"Blunk was scared for falling queen!" Said the passling.

Elyon managed a slight smile. "I'm okay. How many of them did I get?"

Together, they looked to the targets to assess the damage. The news was not good. At the peak of her powers, before they were stolen by Nerissia, Elyon would have vaporized the entire set without missing a beat. Today, fewer than ten were destroyed, and most of them weren't even damaged. After Nerissia was defeated, one month prior, everyone has assumed the queen's powers would quickly return to her. But now…

"I'm not getting any better." Elyon said. "The tiny bit of power I managed to reabsorb before we escaped the crystal is all I have." Elyon turned to the passling. "Blunk?"

Blunk stepped forward. Proud to serve his queen, he saluted. "Blunk ready. Whatever nice queen asks, Blunk will do!"

"I'm going to Kandrakar to speak with the Oracle. Can you go to earth and bring the girls to meet me there?"

"Yes! Yes! Blunk bring Guardians to Queen and Oracle!" Blunk used his enchanted tonga tooth to open a fold to earth and jumped through…

"AHHHHHHH!" Susan Vandom woke up screaming. The nightmare again. "One more and I'm into double digits." She murmured. Susan glanced at her alarm clock. Three in the morning. Rising from bed, she padded down the hall and into the kitchen, where she brewed a cup of herbal tea. Returning to her room with the hot beverage, she decided to peek in on Will.

The room was empty.

"Okay." She said aloud. "This does it." Susan removed the diary from Will's desk and took it with her. Back in her own bed, she sipped the tea and opened to the entry for the day Will had first met her new friends…


	3. Episode One Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode One: "Suspicions" Chapter Two

While Susan Vandom slept, before the nightmare even started, Will had been awakened by a tapping sound on her window. Grumbling about needing sleep, she rose and opened the sash to find Blunk on the fire escape. This was usually bad news, so she was wide awake in an instant. "What's wrong?" She whispered. "Phobos escape, evil sentient math tests, what?"

"Queen Elyon still having trouble with her powers." Blunk also whispered. "She go to see Oracle, ask Blunk to bring Guardians to Kandrakar too."

"Thank you Blunk. You go ahead and meet up with Elyon. I'll wake the girls up and fold us there."

While Blunk opened a fold to Kandrakar and disappeared into it, Will closed her eyes and sent a thought to Taranee. "Wake up!"

"Huh wha-" Came the sleep-disjointed reply.

"Wake everyone up and tell them to meet us at the dragon." Will thought. "We're going to Kandrakar."

"Wonderful."

Susan sat in bed reading Will's diary. At first she only meant to read far enough to confirm or deny her suspicions. Once she started though, she couldn't stop. This was such bizarre stuff. Alien worlds, magic, superpowers. Elyon a queen! Elyon! Susan would have laughed if she wasn't so scared for Will. She didn't believe what she was reading. Rather, she thought this must confirm her fears.

She knew the story couldn't be true. Yet clearly Will _did_ believe it. Which meant she must be involved in some kind of illicit drug use. Something that made her hallucinate these crazy "WITCH" stories. Tears were at the edge of her eyes, but she didn't allow them to fall. She had to be strong for her daughter. Searching for clues, Susan turned the page and continued reading…

Kandrakar. As the last of the Guardians stepped through, the fold back to earth closed behind her. "Watch it Will." Cornelia said. "You'll cut off my hair closing it that fast. Make sure I'm all the way through first."

"Sorry Corny. I'm still half asleep here."

Cornelia glared at Will for calling her by that hated nickname, but held her tongue. Lately she had decided she was probably being a little too short with her friends, given all they had gone through together. "Just don't do it again." She said.

Elyon was waiting for them. She ran to hug Cornelia, then welcomed the others. She punched Cornelia in the arm. "Where have you been? I've not seen you in a month!"

"Don't blame me, Will's the only one in this group who can open folds." said Cornelia.

Will looked down. "Sorry Elyon. It's just, with everything that happened in the whole Nerissia incident, I thought we should do our best to not disappear on our parents for awhile. Blunk said you were having power troubles?"

Elyon then looked sadder than any of the girls had ever seen her. "Troubles is an understatement. Nothing has come back. Nothing! I've got the little bit I managed to bring out of Nerissia's crystal prison with me. That's it."

All five Guardians gathered close around their friend, hands on her shoulders. "That's awful." said Hay Lin. "Bummer" contributed Irma. Cornelia turned Elyon to face her. "What are you gonna do?"

"That's why I'm here. I'm hoping the Oracle can shed some light on the situation. And…" Elyon paused for a moment. "And you guys are here, well, I know I shouldn't have gotten you out of bed, but… Something tells me I'm going to need some support. Something tells me it's gonna be bad news."

"If it's gonna be bad news, then let's get it over with." Cornelia said. Together they walked towards the Oracle's chambers.

Aljax walked the aisle, checking on the mindquavers. Susan Vandom was awake now, so they were resting and reenergizing for the next time she dozed off. Of course, it might not be necessary to use them again. She _was_ reading the diary after all.

As Aljax examined the last quaver, the Dark Queen's emissary approached him. "Hail Neera, Queen of Darkness!" The emissary said. Aljax repeated the standard salute back to him.

"The Queen requests an update."

"Tell her this," Aljax began, "The woman Susan has responded to the implanted nightmares exactly as expected. As we speak, she is reading the Quintessence Guardian's personal memories."

"Excellent Aljax. What is the next step?" Asked the emissary.

"As we project it, there are two possible outcomes, both of which serve our needs. First, the woman may simply believe what she has read. If so, then that is all we need. But this is unlikely. Far more likely is that she will mistake the writings as proof of the fear we put into her dream."

"But this false belief also works in our favor? How?"

"It's simple. All we need to safely attack and capture the Guardian's mother is her knowledge of the truth. If she believes the diary, that counts. If she does not believe it, she will instead believe the dream. This will cause her to follow the girl in search of proof.

And then she will see the truth with her own eyes."

"The Queen will be pleased." said the emissary. "I take my leave to return to her."

Kandrakar. The Oracle looked up, a smile on his face, as the girls approached. "Welcome Queen Elyon! Welcome Guardians!"

"You know why we've come?" Elyon asked.

The smile faded, but did not entirely disappear. "Indeed I do. You are wondering why your full powers have not returned."

Hay Lin asked, "Do you know? Can you help her?"

The Oracle replied, "Yes, to the first question. A qualified yes to the second. Put simply your highness, the majority of your power is still contained within the crystal Nerissia placed it in. I could return the power to you, but…

Elyon saw where the Oracle was going. "But if you did, it would disrupt the crystal and free Nerissia."

"Yes."

The five Guardians looked at each other, then Elyon and the Oracle. "Are you telling us there's no way to give Elyon her powers back? Cornelia demanded. She was clearly angry.

"I am truly sorry. Bear in mind however, that for every loss there is a counterbalancing gain. Queen Elyon, right now you see only pain in this loss. Yet I swear to you on all the power of Kandrakar that what you have lost is nothing compared to what you will gain in it's place."

Elyon's mood improved a touch when she heard this. "What do you mean?" She asked.

The Oracle started to reply, but got no further than "I" before all six girls answered for him "I cannot tell you now, all will be revealed in time." He chuckled softly. "I do say that a lot don't I?"

"You're like a broken record" Irma quipped.


	4. Episode One Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode One: "Suspicions" Chapter Three

After their meeting with the Oracle, Elyon and the Guardians remained in Kandrakar for about an hour. Elyon had expected to need their company for longer, but after the Oracle's encouraging words of something to counterbalance her loss, she wasn't so upset anymore.

Will opened a fold back to earth, opening in the basement of the Silver Dragon. "I promise we'll come see you again soon," she said to Elyon. "Maybe this weekend."

"Sounds good." Elyon answered. She winked at Cornelia. "Should I tell Caleb you're coming?"

"Nah, I wanna surprise him."

Cornelia stepped through the fold. As it closed, Elyon thought she heard an echo of Cornelia complaining about losing an inch of hair, followed by laughter. Giggling, the young queen started to open a fold to Meridian, then had a thought. She really had better find Blunk and take him back with her. Otherwise there was no telling what priceless treasures he might make off with…

It was just past four a.m. when Susan heard Will creeping back into her room. She really was tempted to take the matter up with her daughter right then and there, but knew better. She had someone else to speak with first. Distressed, but relieved that at least Will was home, Susan turned off the light and drifted off to sleep.

Three hours later, Susan awoke in a start from the tenth repetition of her nightmare. "Twice in one night. That's new. It must be the diary." She thought to herself. After showering and dressing, Susan went to the kitchen, where she found Will already dressed and eating a slice of jellied toast. "Honey, you really need a better breakfast than that." She said.

"It's cool Mom," Will replied, "Hay Lin is bringing some kind of traditional Chinese breakfast for us all. The toast is just a tide-me-over."

"Her voice seems so clear." Susan thought. Then she had an idea. "Will, what's that smear on your cheek?"

"Huh? Did I get something on my face?"

"Let me see." Susan pulled Will to where she could look full in her face in clear light. Pretending to wipe a mark off Will's cheek, she looked closely at her daughter's eyes. They were perfectly clear, with no sign of bloodshot or any indication of anything unusual. "Guess it was nothing." She said.

Will sensed something was up, but she couldn't tell what. She decided to let it go for now. Picking up her backpack, throwing it over her shoulder, she slipped out the door. "See you tonight Mom." And then she was gone.

Susan waited long enough to feel certain Will hadn't forgotten something she might come back for. She opened her cell phone and called Dean. "it's Susan."

"Hey sweetie, what's up? You don't usually call this early."

"I know. Listen, can you meet me after school lets out today? I've got something important to discuss with you." Susan said.

"I think I'm wide open Susan. What time and where?"

"The where is my office, we'll have better privacy there. As for the when, I'll get back to you before lunch. I've got someone else to bring in on this."

"Okay, just let me know. Susan… is this about Will?"

"Yeah." She answered. "I'll call you back later. Love you." Susan terminated the call, then pulled up her phone's directory list and quickly found the number she wanted. She placed the call and only had to wait through two rings for an answer.

"Hello," the answerer said, "This is Tom Lair."

In Kandrakar, Elyon had found Blunk exactly where she expected, his arms full of gold and silver relics. "You buy? Pretty shinys for palace!"

"No thanks little guy." She said. A fold opened at her gesture. "Drop the booty and get back to Meridian." Blunk did as he was told. Elyon started to follow him, but heard voices from the next room. She closed the fold and crept up to the door. In the aura mirror chamber beyond were Halinoor, Luba, and the Oracle.

"Oracle, please forgive me, as I know you are wiser than myself, but are you _certain_ this is the right thing to do?" Halinoor was saying.

Luba said, "I agree. Surely what you intend is unseemly for royalty."

"Unseemly perhaps, by the standards most royalty judges itself with." said the Oracle, "but necessary at this juncture. Elyon is a wonderful girl. Her heart is in the right place, and in time she will grow to become the wisest, most compassionate, most revered and beloved and successful monarch in Meridian's history."

Elyon's heart warmed to hear such words from the wise man. But he wasn't finished talking. "However, she is not quite ready. She needs to learn. And she needs the comforts of friends and family and the normal life she knew, or at least as much of it as is possible now. And… she needs a little excitement. The plan I have set in motion will provide her with these things."

Luba replied first. "Very well Oracle. I defer to your judgment."

"As do I." said Halinoor. "You know, young Caleb is not going to like this at all."

Suddenly Elyon realized that the last few comments had gotten louder. They were coming towards the door she was hiding behind! The queen quickly folded back to her palace. Therefore, she did not hear the rest of the conversation. "No he won't. But we've all seen what is coming. The Guardians will need help on earth, and if the dark veil cannot be stopped, Elyon is better off with them anyway."

Another school day lunch break. Will sat with her friends and asked "Have you guys noticed anything off about Professor Collins today?"

"Off like how?" asked Taranee.

Before Will could answer, Cornelia spoke up. "I saw what you're talking about Will. He's been keeping a closer eye on you than normal."

"Exactly!" Will exclaimed. "He's trying to be subtle about it but when you show up half a dozen times halfway across the building from your own classroom, it shows!"

"Not to mention," Cornelia added, "He never once even glanced away from you in class."

Taranee said, "Are you sure you're not just imagining things again? This _is_ the guy we mistook for a disguised monster."

Matt started to say, "Yeah, it's probably nothing." But before he could finish Dean Collins walked by the table, eyeing Will. "Then again…" Matt amended.

Taranee had rethought too. "Okay, I admit that's creepy."

"Ooh!" Hay Lin suddenly said, "Maybe he's gonna ask Will's mom to marry him! Maybe he wants Will's blessing but he's too nervous to ask!"

"Ewww!" came four replies…


	5. Episode One Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode One: "Suspicions" Chapter Four

Aljax was a dead man. He was absolutely certain of it. He counted himself lucky enough to have been spared by Queen Neera once. He couldn't be so lucky again. And he had just been summoned into her presence. Still, groveling was beneath his people, so he walked, head held high, into the jaws of death: The dark Queen's throne room.

As soon as he was within the chamber, she emerged from the shadows, a huge and hideous creature, a cross between a giant spider and the spawn of every nightmare that everyone in every world had ever had. "Welcome back Aljax." She said. I believe we are ready for the second phase of our plan are we not? Tell me the first phase has gone well."

"Exceedingly well, my queen. In fact, if you so decide we may have the opportunity to obtain multiple hostages for the price of ensnaring the one." Aljax answered.

"Oh? How have you accomplished this?"

"As expected, Majesty, the woman Susan now believes her nightmares, and will soon witness the Guardians transform. However, what we did not anticipate is that she would also enlist the assistance of the Water Guardian's father, who is a member of the earth's law enforcement corps."

The queen seemed to swoon with joy at the news. "_Two_ of their parents. Yes. _Yeeeesssss_… You make your queen proud my child. You may live once again. Now, let us discuss how the second phase will proceed…"

That afternoon, the Guardians were together in their usual hangout, the basement of the Silver Dragon. Hay Lin sat sketching ideas for her next painting, while Taranee tried in vain to help Will through the latest round of algebra.

"So what ended up happening with Professor Collins Will?" Cornelia asked.

"Nothing really. After lunch he laid back some more but he still didn't act normal." Will said.

Hay Lin glanced up from her work. "Maybe it all fits together. Maybe he's got something to do with your mom's nightmares!"

Cornelia said, "Collins? Please. There's not a conspiracy in everything Hay Lin."

"We're Guardians Corny. Sometimes it seems like there is." Irma joked.

"DON'T CALL ME- Never mind."

Irma wasn't finished. "Girl, I gotta hand it to you. You're really getting control of your temper. Pretty soon I'll be able to call you Corn Muffin or Corn Flake! Or maybe even-" Before she could finish, a vine grabbed Irma and covered her mouth.

Cornelia grinned at the furious Irma. "Here's the deal. You drop _it_, and the plant drops you."

Sensing a tragic basement flood in the making, Will and Hay Lin jumped between their friends. "Stop it now you guys." Will said.

Cornelia released Irma, who immediately formed a large ball of water but didn't throw it. After a few seconds she too backed down and sent the water down a nearby drain. She offered Cornelia her hand. "Peace?"

"Peace."

While the Guardians were meeting in Hay Lin's basement, Susan Vandom was welcoming Dean Collins and Tom Lair into her office. She closed the door, motioned to her two guest chairs, and took her own seat. "I think we have a serious problem with Will, and probably the other girls as well. Before I tell you what I suspect, what I've found… Tom, have you noticed any unusual behavior from Irma? Especially since Will and I moved here?"

"Some." He confessed. "I just thought it was normal teenager drama though. But now that you mention it, it did start just after you arrived."

Dean reached across the desk and took Susan's right hand in his. "What's this about? What's wrong Susan? You know I'll be there for you."

"Let me start at the beginning. Every night for more than a week now, I've had a terrible dream of Will and her friends engaged in drug use. And other… …things as well. I thought it was just a dream, but when it woke me up at three this morning I went to check in on Will. She wasn't there."

Tom leaned forward "She went out at three in the morning?"

"Yeah. Came back around four. The point is, even though I still didn't think Will could be into drugs, it's clear something unusual is going on. So I took her diary and started reading it." Susan handed each man a stack of papers. "I copied it for you to look through. As you'll see, it's filled with bizarre stories about magic and other worlds and our daughters being some kind of "Guardians of Infinity" or some such. When you read it, it's clear that Will isn't just making up a story. She thinks this is real."

"Which implies the use of something hallucinogenic." Tom said. "Give me a few minutes to skim through this. Some drugs have recognizable patterns to the visions they cause. Maybe I'll notice something telling."

"The second phase." Neera said.

Aljax responded quickly. "We have an agent hiding near Elyon's castle in Meridian. He carries four larval warriors in hibernation. When he wakes them, they will quickly go on the attack, destroying anything in their way. Once we are certain the parents are in position, watching the Guardians, I will send word to release the larvae. The Guardians will hear of it, transform, and fold to Meridian in full view of their family members."

"It seems a shame to waste good larvae." said Neera. "But I see why we must. If we don't create a threat, one might not arise on it's own for weeks. Very well Aljax. Proceed with phase two."

Aljax bowed deeply. "As you command my queen."


	6. Episode One Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode One: "Suspicions" Chapter Five

Tom Lair looked up from the copied pages of Will's diary. "We have a problem here. Susan, do you remember a few years ago when that Ecstasy drug first started getting big and everyone was passing laws to ban it?"

"Is that what this is Tom?" Susan asked.

"No. That's not what I'm getting at. My point is this: It's not just 'drugs' that are illegal, it's specific drugs named in the law books. In the case of ecstasy, before the laws against it passed, a kid could have walked up to me on the street, told me what it was, then used it right in front of me. And even though I knew how dangerous it was, I couldn't have done a thing, because it was still legal."

"Okay, I get that," Dean said, "but what does it have to do with our current situation? Are you saying this is some new drug that's not illegal yet?"

Tom sighed. "I don't know that this is drug related. But if it is, then yes, because this doesn't match the profile of any known drug. Let me show you something." Tom motioned to the diary pages. "Looking over this, I noticed something very unusual. Will's narrative is continuous, and internally self-consistent."

"With any known drug," he continued, "each time they used it they would have a different experience. They might get this Guardian hallucination one time, but the next time it'd be pink bunnies or something. The point is, we're gonna have to take care of this ourselves. We need more information. Something is off here Susan, but my cop's gut says it's not drugs."

Susan held her head in her hands. "What are we supposed to do then? What do you suggest? Are we reduced to sneaking about spying on them?"

"Exactly. We know they hang out a lot in the Silver Dragon's basement. Now, I've been in that basement a couple times with Irma, back when she first became friends with Hay Lin. There are a bunch of small windows at ground level in the back alley. I say we use one of them to get a good look at just what's going on in there."

"Is that, um… legal?" Dean asked.

"No, it's not. But this is my daughter, and if she's in trouble with something nothing will stop me from helping her. All that leaves is, when do we do it?"

"Tomorrow." Susan answered. "Dean, I want you with us. Is there any way you can beat the kids out of school?"

"Not a problem. My classroom is empty last period anyway. I use the time to grade papers normally, but no one will say anything if I duck out fifteen minutes early."

Susan stood. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow we find out what they've been hiding."

Aljax and his queen observed the meeting. "Excellent." Neera purred, "Just excellent." She turned to her emissary. "Have word sent to Meridian about the timing of our little attack there tomorrow." The emissary bowed and went to carry out his orders. "Aljax, tell me: Can we get a look into this basement room?"

"Apologies my queen, but we have already tried and it seems not. Apparently there is some kind of barrier blocking _any_ remote viewing into the building itself. The work of the former Air Guardian, no doubt. We _will _be able to view the back alleyway the parents will be observing from."

Neera let out a sound Aljax suspected was her equivalent of a sigh. "That will have to suffice then."

Meridian, twenty two hours later. Haldarn, servant of Neera checked his timepiece. It was time to begin. He looked down at the cocoons containing the still sleeping warrior larvae. He would have to do this fast. All four needed to be released, yet once he woke the first one he would have, at most, twenty seconds to live.

He gazed out the window, watching the peaceful village that would soon be in shambles. Some part of him, he now admitted, would have liked a simple peasants' life to the life he was born into. Oh well. At least he would die in service. "Hail Neera, Queen of Darkness!", he shouted as he hefted the hammer and swung down to break open the first cocoon…

In the palace, Elyon was enjoying a rare, calm day with her adoptive parents when the alert reached her ears. She ran to the upper balcony where Caleb, his father, and a contingent of guards stood looking down towards the town. Smoke rose from many burning buildings, and screams filled the air. "What's going on!"

"It just started." Caleb said. "We don't know what's going on yet."

Elyon started to rise off the balcony. "Gather everyone you can Caleb. I'm going down there."

Before Elyon could proceed, shouts drew everyone's attention from behind. "Queen Elyon! No go! No go!" Blunk exclaimed. Elyon settled to the deck and asked what was wrong. Blunk was out of breath, having ran all the way from town. "Monster bugs!" he said. "Big, big monster bugs, like maggots but huge! Huge with thick armor! Blunk see soldier torn apart in seconds! No go nice queen! No go!"

"Blunk, get the Guardians."

Behind the Silver Dragon, Susan, Tom, and Dean met up. "They should get here in a few minutes." Dean said. "Where's the best place to set up Tom?"

Irma's father led them to a window near the backmost corner, heavily in shadow. "They shouldn't see us here even if they look right at the window."

"We'll have trouble hearing all the way back here." Susan noted.

Tom held up a small electronics package. That's why I bought this, and three earphones. We'll hear as well as if we were in the room with them. Now let's settle in and wait."

Will and Matt walked down the stairs into the basement, holding hands. Cornelia followed, then Taranee, Hay Lin, and Irma. "Do you two have to do that in front of me? I never get to see my boyfriend." Cornelia complained.

"C'mon, you'll get to see Caleb when we visit Elyon this weekend." Will answered.

"And at least you have a boyfriend" Irma reminded her.

Outside, Susan whispered "See Elyon? She moved halfway across the country."

"Something to do with our mystery, I'd wager."

"We'll have an answer soon Susan. It'll be okay." Dean said, trying to cheer her up and failing miserably.

For the next half hour, the teens just hung out, laughing, joking, enjoying normal life. Outside Susan began to feel despair that she would in fact get any answers this day.

Then the strange thing happened. As she watched, a pinpoint of bright blue light appeared in the middle of the basement. In mere seconds it expanded, becoming what looked like a rip torn into the very air. Wind began to blow out of it. Then, with a high pitched scream, a small, green… …something… flew out of it, bounced off the floor, and crashed into the far wall shelves. "Blunk!" Will exclaimed.

Hay Lin and Irma ran to the creature's side and pulled it to it's feet. "Blunk are you okay?" Hay Lin asked it.

Susan, Dean and Tom looked at each other, eyes wide. They all recognized the name "Blunk" from Will's diary. Together they looked back through the window.

Blunk was disoriented from the crash. He shook his head and moaned for a moment. "Ohhhh… Blunk need to take vacation…" He looked up at the girls. "Guardians! Meridian need help! Bugs! Big Bugs! Big!"

"Back on the clock ladies." Will said. "let's do this." She walked through the fold. Matt followed, then Cornelia and Irma.

As Taranee passed through, Hay Lin said to Blunk, "Hold down the fort here, little guy. Let Granma know where we are." Then she too entered the fold.

Blunk snapped a salute. "Girls no worry. Blunk hold down fort here! Here away from monsters. Actually, maybe Blunk should just move to earth," he muttered to himself. "No monsters here." Behind him the fold closed.

In the back alley, a stunned Susan Vandom stood up and dropped her earpiece. "Oh. My. God…"


	7. Episode Two Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Two: "Rules of Engagement" Chapter One

Neera shuddered with joy. The plan was working perfectly. Now that the two Guardian's parents knew of their daughter's secrets, the rules were met. They could be targeted for capture without fear of mystic retribution from the higher plains. Aljax and her emissary shared in her joy at a successfully completed mission. "If I may take leave my Queen," Aljax said, "I must now begin preparations for phase three."

"Go faithful servant." she replied. "Bring our three snoopers to my palace. With them as hostages, the Guardians will not dare to make a move against us."

Meridian. Despite Blunk's warning Elyon had followed Caleb and the soldiers into the village. She stood aghast at how much damage had been done in such a short time. From ahead came the resounding clangs of swords and shields as the army assaulted the monstrous attackers. Screams of pain, fear, and rage echoed about the buildings. Suddenly, a group of five men scrambled into sight from around a corner, fleeing as fast as they could. Behind them came one of the beasts: A huge grub, a larva armored in thick chitin, with many short legs and arms ending in razor sharp scythes.

The beast was faster than the men it was chasing. It would be on them in seconds, and they would die. "No. I won't allow that." Elyon whispered. Reaching down within her heart, the queen summoned all of the power she had left. Energy spheres crackled about her clenched fists. All in an instant, she unleashed the Light of Meridian squarely aimed at the monster's head. It shrieked in pain as it's armor boiled away and a few of it's legs melted.

But it wasn't down for the count. Forgetting it's former targets, the creature lunged screaming towards the now tapped-out and powerless queen. Elyon flinched back and closed her eyes to await the inevitable. It didn't come. Instead, she heard a low sound of whistling wind and felt some dust blowing around her. She opened her eyes to see she was enveloped in a solid wall of sand. "Sandpit?"

"Yes" the creature answered in her thoughts. "These invaders seem loath to pass through my shifting form. I hoped it would be enough to protect you. It worked."

"I can't see through you. What's going on out there now?"

Sandpit answered. "The one you blasted is very weak now, but still fighting. The other three are undamaged. Gargoyle and the best human soldiers are holding their own defensively, but no one else has managed to even dent one of these things."

"We've got to help somehow!" Elyon exclaimed.

"If your powers regenerate quickly enough, you may be able to finish off the wounded one with one more blast." Sandpit replied. "Otherwise, there's nothing we can… Wait… I have good news your highness. The Guardians have arrived."

"Let me out then. This is one fight I wanna see for myself."

Heatherfield. The Vandom residence. Susan, Tom, and Dean had returned here after watching the girls pass through a fold into Meridian. Susan had been very close to going into a state of shock after seeing the truth with her own eyes, but seemed to be coming out of it now. She looked up. "Dean? What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Susan." he said.

Susan stood and began to pace. "I mean, it's true. It's all true. Everything in Will's diary is true. My daughter-" here she looked at Tom Lair, "-_Our _daughters are running off to other planets and fighting some kind of monsters! They're there right now, doing who knows what, in God knows what kind of danger!"

Tom said, "I know. I'm almost in shock here myself. We've got to confront them when they get back. Though, you know Susan… As much as this scares me for Irma, I'm also kind of proud of her. She's shouldered a great burden responsibly and reliably."

Tom's words cut through Susan, though he hadn't meant it. He didn't realize how often Susan had scolded and punished Will for her supposed immaturity and irresponsibility. "And now I know she was doing those things because she's being _more _responsible than I ever was at her age." Susan thought. Susan straightened up and walked to the coffee table. To her companions, she said, "I think the first thing we need to do, while we're waiting for them to get back, is reread this diary more carefully."

"Good idea." Tom said, "I wanna know exactly what my daughter's been getting into."

"Guardians Unite!" Will shouted, as the Heart of Kandrakar floated above her hand. Five spheres of energy emerged from the heart, each enveloping one of the girls. When the lights faded, the Guardians were flying just above the ground powered up.

Taranee looked towards the village. Smoke rose everywhere. "Ah man! What could do this kind of damage so fast?"

"Let's find out." Will said.

Together the Guardians flew in over the village square. They saw three large powerful monsters, and a fourth badly damaged one. Near the marketplace, Drake's men were fighting a larva alongside Gargoyle. They were preventing it from advancing but not pushing it back. "Look at that!" Hay Lin said, "That thing's actually managed to hurt Gargoyle! No one's been able to do that since, well, us." Sure enough, the mighty Gargoyle was injured, a large slash cut into his left side.

The second beast was attacking a platoon led by Vathic. Casualties were higher here than in the first battle. Larva number three strode through the streets unchallenged. And the injured one was trying to tear down a building full of people. Will noticed movement near the injured larva. "Isn't that Sandpit?" she asked. Just then, Sandpit opened up and resumed his vaguely humanoid form. Elyon stood in the middle of where he had been.

Cornelia caught sight of her friend. "Elyon!" The Guardians flew down to meet her. "What are these things?" Cornelia asked.

"No one knows." Elyon explained. "They showed up out of nowhere and started trashing the town. And no one has been able to hurt them either, except for that one." She pointed at the injured monster. "And that took everything I could throw at it to do."

"Alright." Will said, "Here's the plan…"


	8. Episode Two Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Two: "Rules of Engagement" Chapter Two

In Heatherfield, three adults sat reading Will's diary very carefully. Suddenly, Dean Collins sat up straight in his chair. "It wasn't a weird dream!" he exclaimed.

Susan and Tom looked up at him. "What are you talking about?" Tom asked.

"When I first moved to town, I had this strange experience that I passed off as a dream." Dean explained. "But now listen to this entry:" Dean read from the diary, "_The mage says Phobos has someone disguised as a human in Heatherfield looking for a girl. She says I can reveal this beast's true form by touching the heart to him. We all thought that the new teacher, Professor Collins, just had to be the one. Turns out we were wrong. I feel really bad about what we did to him. Hopefully he won't remember it when he wakes up." _

Susan laughed. "They attacked you! Dean I'm so sorry!"

Dean shook his head. "It's okay Susan. They thought I was someone else. Or maybe some_thing _else. No permanent harm was done, and they did feel bad about it."

"Dean what did you see when they did this?" Tom asked.

"Can't help you out there. I never saw the first strike coming. My vision was pretty blurry the whole time after that."

"That's too bad." Tom said. "Hey, here's another entry that explains a lot." He read: "_Whew! That was close! Sandpit and Miranda came to earth and tried to frame us for Elyon's disappearance. Big problem since it's not like we could explain to them that she's off on another planet. Luckily, Elyon and I were able to convince her adoptive parents to let her come back for awhile. It'll be fun having her in school again."_

"Sandpit? Miranda?" asked Susan.

"I dunno about this Sandpit, but dollars to donuts Miranda was the 'Melinda' who tipped us off to look in the Brown's basement." Tom replied.

Susan looked lost in thought for a moment. "That makes me think. I wonder…" She began to leaf through the pages looking for something she suspected…

Aljax strode the line of soldiers, ensuring each one was properly prepared. They were all dressed in clothing that would pass for normal on earth. Weapons were concealed beneath their overcoats. One man had his hat on wrong. Another had failed to button his coat right. These fashion issues corrected, he was certain no one would notice anything unusual about him or his men. They were ready for phase three.

Aljax held aloft the triangular crystal Queen Neera had entrusted to him. A bright fold opened between worlds. Aljax gave the order, and led his men through to earth. They emerged in a deserted part of a forested mountainside. Aljax looked down slope. The huge earth city of Heatherfield sprawled below them. It would be easy to get lost in such a city. Fortunately, they had been provided with maps that would lead directly to their targets.

"Here's the plan," Will said. "These things don't like swirling sand. They won't go through it. Sandpit, we need you to form one wall of sand to herd them from the east. Corny and Hay Lin, combine your powers to make another one from the west. Angle them together at the north and push south. We'll drive them out of town and off the edge of Hoogon Canyon."

"Good plan Will." Taranee said.

Sandpit thought into their minds, "I concur."

"Oh hey! It's like the end of Tremors!" Hay Lin said.

Elyon and Will chuckled at this observation. "Let 'Operation Stampede' begin!"

Sandpit flowed outward, turning into a long high wall of swirling sand. Meanwhile, Cornelia used her power to raise several tons of loose dust and sand into the air, where Hay Lin began to make it swirl and blow about. Soon, a double wall of what looked like a natural dust storm was bearing down on the village.

As the roiling sand moved in, townspeople and soldiers alike were frightened. They didn't know this was the work of the Guardians. Caleb looked up as the sand blotted out the sun. "Just what we need." He grumbled as he and his men, knowing they couldn't fight in the low visibility, ran for shelter.

Across town, all the other soldiers also ran. They expected the larvae to follow and slaughter them, but instead the huge powerful creatures were frightened by the approaching walls of sand. As each one saw the sand coming, it disengaged its fight and ran to the south. Soon all four larvae were fleeing towards the canyon rim. "Keep it up you guys!" Will thought towards Cornelia and Hay Lin. "It's working!"

At the last moment, the panicked larvae saw the canyon rim dropping away. But it was too late for them. They rushed over the edge and tumbled down to the jagged rocks below, where they perished in the sudden stop at the bottom.

Sandpit resumed humanoid form, and the two guardians ended their half of the sandstorm. Together, Elyon, Sandpit, and the Guardians looked down at the dying monsters. "Hey I just thought of something!" Irma said. "Kevin Bacon was in Tremors. We killed these guys the same way he killed the last worm in the movie. Does that mean these things won the 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' game?"

Four Guardians and Elyon groaned. "Girl, that's bad even for you." Taranee said.

Having informed Yan Lin of the girl's whereabouts, Blunk set off into the sewers. The more he thought about it, the better his thought of just moving to earth seemed. No monsters. No imprisoned Cedric waiting to escape and eat him. No Jeek. He could find a nice abandoned control or storage room down here and live like a king. Well, a passling king anyways. Maybe he could even find something big enough to bring Mama over to be safe too.

"Here's what I'm looking for." Susan said. "Dean, do you remember when the pier almost collapsed and you saved me from falling?"

"How could I forget? I almost lost you that night."

"Remember when Will invited you over the next night? She said 'You did save my Mom's life' but I never told her about that." Susan said. "So how did she know?"

Tom said, "You know we never did find out what caused that collapse."

Susan replied, "Here's the answer to both questions." She read: _"Went to the pier with Mom and Professor Collins for dinner. Guess I was really immature about the whole deal. But it was good I got out of their sight, because Shagon attacked the pier's supports, trying to destroy it! It was all I could do to fight him alone, especially when I heard a scream and saw Mom dangling from the side. Thank God Collins was there, he pulled her up. Guess I need to be nicer to him now, I really owe him one."_

"Wow. No wonder her attitude changed so suddenly."

"Yeah." Susan answered. "Enough asides though. What are we going to do about this?"

Back in the village, the townspeople cheered their saviors. Elyon sent for medical help for the wounded, especially Gargoyle who had taken the brunt of the damage. "He'll be okay your highness," Drake said. "The big guy heals fast. But it worries me that those things were not just mindless monsters. They were smart enough to prioritize Gargoyle as the greatest threat, and concentrate on him."

Caleb approached, holding hands with Cornelia. "Another problem. Those were grubs. As in larva. Which means whatever they are eventually turns into an adult form even bigger and stronger."

Taranee shivered. "Oh man, I don't even wanna _think_ about that."

"Then let's not think about it for now." Will said. "Let's just go home." She held up the heart, intending to transform the Guardians back to normal. Instead, something strange happened. The heart spit out a glowing white ball that circled around Elyon, then passed directly through her, back to front, before rejoining the heart.

"O~kay…." Taranee said. "What was that?"

Will stared at the heart. " I don't know."

"Did you forget to replace the batteries again Will?" Irma joked.

Cornelia focused on Elyon. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Elyon said. "It didn't hurt me or anything. Actually, it kind of tickled going through."

"Let's try that again." Will said. She held up the heart, which this time responded normally, turning the girls back into their normal selves. "That's better. Maybe I need to ask the Oracle for the instruction manual to this thing."


	9. Episode Two Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Two: "Rules of Engagement" Chapter Three

Tom and Dean glanced at each other. Susan had indeed asked the big question. "What do we do about this?"

Tom then said, "If you think about it Susan, there are really three separate questions included in yours. First, do we try to stop them from what they are doing, second, regardless of question one, do we punish them for hiding this from us, and three, do we tell the other parents, and if so, how?"

"As strange as it sounds," Susan said, "My answer to the first question is no. We shouldn't try to stop them. And while you and the other parents have to choose for yourselves if you'll punish them or not, I'm not punishing Will. I have my reasons."

Dean sat next to Susan. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Yes, for my own reasons, as I said. But that said of course we have to tell the others. How could we keep this from them?"

Tom agreed. "But how will we tell them?"

"Hold off for now." Dean said. "We'll confront Will, you talk with Irma. After that we'll get together, with the girls if possible, and figure out the best way to proceed."

"I'd better be getting home then." Tom said. "No telling when they'll get back and I want to have this talk with Irma while Anna and Chris are out for the day."

Meridian. Elyon had asked the Guardians and Matt to return to the palace with her before returning to earth. She had told them she had a surprise. Once they arrived, she excused herself into the royal chambers alone.

While she selected a change of clothes and cleaned up, she thought about the Oracle's words which she had overheard on Kandrakar. Something new was coming. She needed some semblance of her old life. She needed excitement. And now the Heart of Kandrakar had reacted to her in an unusual way.

She tested her weakened powers. A tiny bit of light energy flared around her hands. Ever since the light from the heart passed through her, she had felt her powers regenerating faster than before. They still wouldn't get any stronger than before; she could sense that. But they _were_ refilling more quickly.

Freshly cleaned, she began to dress appropriately for earth.

Blunk explored the Heatherfield sewer system for several hours. In time, he happened across a long abandoned room, ten feet by eight feet, mostly emptied of the equipment once housed there. The floor was filthy, the walls worse. Bacteria infested water dripped from the ceiling. Rancid trash filled the corners. Blunk surveyed the room.

He grinned. "Jackpot! Blunk hit the mother lode!" He exclaimed happily.

Aljax led the primary team. The map he carried quickly and easily led them to the apartment building the Vandom's lived in. Aljax had feared that they might encounter locals wishing to interact with them in one way or another. This fear proved baseless. Gathered outside, they looked up to the third floor. "Shall we enter through the interior door, or use these outside stairs?" A soldier asked.

"The inside, I think." Aljax replied. "If I understand properly, these outside stairs are for emergency egress only. If someone sees us climbing them, it could draw unwanted attention. However, as you know we make no move until the secondary team is ready to capture the Water Guardian's father."

"I understand general." the soldier said.

Meanwhile, the secondary team was arraying itself outside of the Lair residence. The watched Tom Lair arrive home and pull into the garage. After he had gone into the home, they signaled Aljax. "All is ready." he answered them back. "Stand by."

Matt, Caleb, and the girls stood on one of the palace's large outdoor balconies. "So, do you have any idea what Elyon is planning to surprise us with?" Matt asked Caleb.

Caleb said, "Not a clue. And that worries me. She only hides her plans when I'm not going to like them."

Cornelia grinned at her boyfriend. "Paranoid much?"

"It's not paranoid if it's true."

"He's got a point Corny." Irma said.

Cornelia simply glared at Irma. "Whatever. It's not like you can refuse her. She's your queen! So don't worry about it. It'll be what it'll be."

Caleb sighed. "it's my job to worry about it."

Tom Lair settled in his favorite chair, thinking hard. He was glad Anna wasn't home. Not telling her and the other oblivious parents until after talking to Irma was the right thing to do. Yet if Anna had been home right now, he wouldn't have been able to keep it in. He needed time to focus himself and put up a front so good even his wife couldn't see through it. That was much easier said than done.

He decided to occupy himself by cleaning his gun. Tom walked to the counter to get the cleaning kit, when an odd feeling passed over him. Call it premonition. Call it an experienced cop's instincts. He knew _something_ was off. He sat the cleaning kit down and snapped a loaded cartridge in place…

In Meridian, Elyon opened the doors to her chambers and walked out to rejoin her friends. She was wearing denim overalls and a pink t-shirt, with brown boots. She saw that her parents were also here now. "Just as well. Get it all over with at once." she thought.

Hay Lin was the first to notice her clothing. "Where are your robes?" she asked.

"You look dressed for earth." said a suspicious Caleb.

" I _am_ dressed for earth." Elyon replied. "I'm going back with you guys."

Elyon's mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure the timing is right for that?" she asked.

Elyon said, "I know it looks bad. But with so little power now, there's nothing I could do here that you and the kingdom regents can't handle. Based on something the Oracle said, I think I need to be on earth right now. I can still come back at a moment's notice if something only the queen can handle comes up."

"How long are you planning to be on earth?" her father asked.

Elyon thought about the Oracles' words. She wanted her parents safe too. "Long enough, that I think you two should set up housekeeping in our old place again."

Everyone was stunned by _that_ revelation…


	10. Episode Two Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Two: "Rules of Engagement" Chapter Four

Heatherfield. Susan and Dean sat together in the center of the couch. He held her close as she talked about Will. "We were always so close before we moved here. I suppose a lot of it was because of how her father treated me."

A note of anger crept into Dean's voice. "Susan, did he ever-"

"Abuse us? Physically no. Psychologically? Will no, but me? Not exactly, though during his worst moments it was right on the line. Mostly he was just negligent. Anyway, even though Will still loved him, I mean he _is_ her father after all, she knew how he acted was wrong. It made us closer."

"Was she angry when you divorced?"

"Less angry than disappointed. Disappointed in him for the obvious reasons, and also in me. I think that even then she knew it wasn't fair to feel that way towards me, she just couldn't help it because of her age."

"Is this why you're not willing to punish her for hiding these things from you?"

Susan looked down. "No. I won't punish her because she's already been punished. Scolded and grounded for so many times I thought she was being irresponsible when she was actually carrying all this weight."

As Dean thought about that he realized she was right. Heck, he needed to apologize for accusing Will of cheating in class. How could he have known her calculator wouldn't shut up? "You are truly remarkable." he said, leaning over to kiss her.

Meridian. Elyon worked to convince her parents that the decision she had made was the right one. "It's not like I'll really be away from my duties here." she said. "One fold will get me to the throne room from anywhere on earth in less time than I could walk there from my room!"

Aldarn pulled Miriabelle aside. "What do you think?"

"Can we really refuse her? She _is_ the Queen."

"True. But I'm not shirking my parental responsibilities just because of that."

Miriabelle laughed. "Me either. But you know she's right about folding. And her tutored grades haven't been what they were at Sheffield. I think she misses her old life. I think she _needs_ it."

Together they turned back to Elyon and her friends. "Elyon, we won't fight this so long as Caleb stays close for your protection."

"You know I'm there sir." Caleb said. He looked at the girls. "Of course you're lucky the Guardians are also there. If they weren't I would insist on an entire platoon of bodyguards."

"Oh, Nickelbocker would _love_ that." Irma said, and everyone laughed.

Aljax had double, triple, and even quadruple checked everything he could think of. Nothing had been forgotten or misplaced. It was time. He sent a signal to the secondary team: "Phase Three: Initiate." then turned to his own team and repeated the words. As one, the primary team led by Aljax turned and walked with purpose toward the main entrance of the apartment building in which they would find Susan Vandom.

Across town, the secondary team received the command and began to move towards the Lair home in an englobement pattern. Their progress was slow, to avoid neighbors taking notice, but steady and soon they were up against the outside walls. Half moved to the front door, half to the back.

"So what'd you thing of that Corny?" Irma asked. "You'll get to see your boyfriend every day now. Wow. I look that much more pathetic now don't I?"

"Where's Caleb going to live anyway? He can't keep cotting down in the Dragon's basement." Cornelia said.

Elyon replied, "There's a spare bedroom in our house he can use. Good thing no one bought it while we've been gone." She turned to Irma. "Why'd you say you look pathetic?"

"Because she's still the only one of us without a boyfriend." Cornelia answered, getting a small revenge for the 'corny' line.

"It'll be two of us now. Whatever happened to that Horneby guy?" Elyon asked.

Will said, "They got one date in before his family moved out of town."

"Yeah." Taranee said, putting an arm around Irma's shoulders. "That was rough."

Irma said, "It's okay you guys. Once I got to know him in that date, I don't think it would've worked out anyway."

Using thick cardboard scavenged from the city dump, Blunk began to divide his new home into separate rooms. A bedroom for himself, and one for Mama. A kitchen and living room. A place for his scavenged treasures. Seeing how the dripping water was already damaging the new walls, he went looking for something waterproof to make a roof. He had heard of an earth tradition called a housewarming party. Maybe he would ask the girls over once he was finished building…

Tom held his gun at the ready. He knew something was wrong. Then he saw the odd man standing in the front doorway. He took aim. "Get down on the ground NOW!" he shouted. Another man joined the first, and then a third. They reached under their coats and withdrew strange glowing objects Tom felt certain were weapons. He took a step back and repeated the order. They moved towards him grinning. Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind. He moved in a half spin that broke him free. The quiet neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire…

Susan and Dean were still arm in arm on the couch, about to drift off to sleep, when the loud crashing sound of the door blowing in shocked them awake. They jumped to their feet as five men entered and withdrew strange objects from their coats. They moved closer. One of them raised his hand and fired a beam of energy from the object he held. Before they could react both Susan and Dean were unconscious.

Aljax contacted the secondary team. "Primary objective secure. What is your progress?"

The reply came, "Secondary objective secure. However, objective was armed. Two men down, for good. Another wounded."

Three losses. A minor issue the queen wouldn't even notice. "Phase Three complete. Rendezvous with objective for fold back to Varthan."

"Understood. Hail Neera, Queen of Darkness!"

Aljax repeated the salute.


	11. Episode Two Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Two: "Rules of Engagement" Chapter Five

Yan Lin was sitting in the basement of the Silver Dragon when a fold opened up and ten people came through; the Guardians, Matt, Caleb, Elyon, and her parents. "Granma!" Hay Lin said. "I didn't expect you to be down here."

"We have a problem." Yan Lin said. She indicated a television in the corner. "Irma, you need to watch this."

Everyone gathered around the screen while Yan Lin removed the volume mute. A reporter was standing in front of a house. "That's my place!" Irma exclaimed.

The reporter was saying, _"Still no knowledge on the whereabouts of any member of the Lair family. Initial reports from witnesses say that Officer Lair was home alone when the unidentified assailants entered. Lair managed to shoot three of his attackers, killing two, before being knocked unconscious and carried from the home by the men on foot. Despite the fact that they were on foot, no sign of the men or Officer Lair has been found."_

"Oh my God oh my God I have to get over there!" Irma screamed.

Yan Lin answered, "That may not be the best idea. You've not heard everything yet. They've stopped mentioning it in the reports, but there was something unusual about those men. The ones your father shot… the early reports said their blood wasn't red. It was black."

"You mean they weren't human?" Taranee asked.

"Exactly. I suspect this is Guardian business."

"Then let's get going!" Irma said. "They've got my dad!"

"Hang on Irma. First we need to check on the rest of our families. If they hit one they might go for the others too." Will replied.

Irma looked at Will. She knew her friend was right. "Okay okay go. Go! But hurry back here please!" Tears streamed down her face.

Blunk was busily looking for a waterproof roof for his new home when he saw something that terrified him. Two groups of men met up in the dump. The larger group carried a man and a woman. The smaller group another man. As Blunk watched, one of them held up a triangular crystal that began to glow. A fold opened, and they all went through it. Before the fold could close, Blunk crept up and peered through. On the other side was the most frightening place he had ever seen. The fold closed. "Blunk not believe this!" he said. "Blunk come to earth to escape monsters. Monsters follow. Blunk's life is tragedy. Better get girls." Blunk ran for the Silver Dragon.

Cornelia appeared in her bedroom, alone. Teletransporting wasn't something she liked to do, it was too unreliable. But speed was of the essence, so they were risking it. From down the hall came the sounds of conversation. She could hear both of her parents and Lillian. They were safe. She needed to transit back to the others, but first…

"Napoleon!" she hissed out in a whisper. Hopefully the cat's hearing would pick it up without alerting the family. Soon enough he strolled into her room. She led him onto the balcony.

"What's up doll?" he asked.

"I can't stay. But be extra vigilant until I get back. We might have someone targeting Guardian's families." she said.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Just let 'em try to bust in here. Don't worry doll, Old Napoleon's got it covered."

She hugged him. "Thanks. I'll fill you in when I get back."

Taranee appeared in the broom closet of her family home. She had been aiming for her bedroom. "I'll never get the knack of that." she thought. Creeping out, she saw her dad and brother in the den watching football. She quietly snuck past and crept to her mother's study. Theresa Cook was busily working at her computer, back to the door.

Satisfied her folks were safe for the moment, she transited back to the Silver Dragon. Theresa turned in her chair. "What was that?" she wondered. "Oh well."

The instant Will popped into her apartment, she knew. The door was gone, the couch and lamp overturned. There were surprisingly few signs of a struggle, which indicated her mother had been taken quickly. Will fell to her knees, fighting the tears that were beginning to flow.

"Stop this!" she thought. "You are a Guardian. You've fought monsters and overthrown evil tyrants! You can save her. Pull it together!" Will stood, wiped her eyes, and transited back to the Dragon.

Will was the last to return. In spite of wiping away her tears, the others knew as soon as they saw her. Irma hugged her. "Who else?" Will asked.

"Just your mother and Irma's father, it seems." said Hay Lin. "Everyone else is still okay."

"Alright. We need to go to Kandrakar. Maybe the Oracle will have some idea who is doing this."

At that moment, Blunk opened a back window and entered. "Girls! Strange men in city dump! Open fold to scary place!"

Everyone looked at Blunk. "Tell us more." Will said.

"Eight men. A group of five carrying two sleeping people, and a group of three carrying one! They met up and went through a fold opened with a crystal. Blunk looked through fold before it closed. Scariest place Blunk ever see! And trust Blunk, Blunk has seen scary!"

"Was one of the men injured?" Irma asked.

"Maybe. One from smaller group was holding his shoulder."

"It must've been my dad that group had." Irma said.

"And my mom was one of the people the other group had." Will said. "But who was the third person?" No one ventured an answer.

"Oh well. We'll get our answers in Kandrakar." Irma said. "Power us up and get us there Will."

Will held up the Heart of Kandrakar. She said "Guardians Unite!"

And then something happened that no one saw coming…


	12. Episode Three Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Three: "Elyon: Unite!" Chapter One

Varthan. The palace of Queen Neera. Susan Vandom awoke to find herself in a small dark prison cell. Tom and Dean lay on the floor beside her, still unconscious but apparently uninjured. She looked to the front of the cell. The bars keeping them in were made not of metal, but some kind of energy. She understood that they must have been captured by someone Will and the other girls were fighting against. "Strange," she thought, "that it happened so soon after I found out about this." She turned her attention to rousing the others.

Will held up the heart. "Guardians Unite!" The heart hovered above Will's hand. Orbs of light emerged from it, each a different color, and each moved toward one of the Guardians. Just before her orb enveloped her, Will saw something different. Along with the five usual orbs, a sixth, bright white in color, had also emerged and headed straight for Elyon.

Aldarn, Miriabelle, and Caleb watched in shock as the white orb surrounded Elyon and lifted into the air. They all shouted her name, fearing what might be happening. Caleb turned to Yan Lin. "What is this? What is the heart doing to her?"

For the first time since he had met her, Caleb saw a mystified expression on Yan-Lin's face. "I… don't know." she admitted.

Within the white orb, Elyon felt a sense of peace greater than any she had ever felt. She realized her powers were growing. They were still quite weak compared to what she had at full power, but she was now stronger than she had been since before Nerissia.

All at once, the orbs vanished, revealing the powered-up Guardians. Each called out her element, before hearing a shocked Elyon say "Whoa!" They turned to look. Elyon was floating above the floor at the same height as the other girls. She looked older. She had wings. She was dressed as a Guardian, pink top with blue dress bottom. "That… was so… COOL!" she exclaimed.

As they drifted down to the floor Cornelia came over to Elyon. "What happened? Will, Yan Lin, what happened to her!"

"I think it's rather obvious what happened," Yan Lin said, "though I have no idea why or how it happened."

"It looks like we've got another question for the Oracle." Taranee said.

Kandrakar. A fold opened and the Guardians, all six now, emerged. Caleb and Elyon's adopted parents had insisted on coming along as well. The Oracle was waiting for them, along with Luba and Halinoor. "Welcome Guardians of the Infinite Worlds!" he said. "I assume you have come in response to Queen Elyon's change."

Elyon stepped forward. "That's a part of why we're here, yes. But it needs to wait. Will's mother and Irma's father have been kidnapped by someone!"

The Oracle was surprised. "This cannot be. For safety, we monitor your families at all times." He waved a hand and a set of images appeared in the air, one of each family member. "These are current images." Sure enough, the images of Susan and Tom showed them going about their normal lives.

"This isn't right." Will said. She held up the heart. It flashed, and the two images changed to show the truth; a damaged apartment and a home with bullet holes in the walls and police walking around.

"A mobius spell." Halinoor said. "Someone created the magical equivalent of a looped tape and broadcast it at us. We would never have noticed unless one of us happened to be looking at the exact moment the loop reset and started again."

"Yes." the Oracle agreed. "The list of entities powerful enough to do this to us is very short. Give me a few moments to meditate. I will uncover our adversary." With that, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

Aljax bowed before Neera, his soldiers lined up behind him also bowing. "Phase three complete." he said. "The hostages are held in the dungeon below."

"Very good." Neera replied. "Now, we must consider phase four. But first, I am hungry…" She snatched a soldier from behind Aljax. He screamed as she began to consume him.

"While the Oracle is meditating," Luba said, "perhaps we should go ahead and get other explanations out of the way."

"You mean what's happened to Elyon." Aldarn said.

Luba nodded. "It's really quite simple. As you know, just as this crystal" -she pointed at the Heart- "is the Heart of Kandrakar, so Elyon is the Heart of Meridian. When the Heart of Kandrakar was used in the presence of a power-depleted Elyon, it resonated with the loss within her. The Heart always maintains an ample supply of reserve energy, and it chose to use a tiny bit of it's reserves to amplify the tiny bit of power left with the Queen."

" Of course," Halinoor added, "it couldn't bring you back to full power, but from now on when the Guardians are powered up, you will be as well, to about the same level of power they possess."

Irma pointed to Elyon's wings. "And it gave her wings and a Guardian suit because?"

Luba shrugged. "That's just what the Heart does."

"I don't like this." Caleb said. "The queen has no business going into battle! She should stay where it's safe!"

"I agree" Miriabelle said. "You should be finding a way to get her full powers back to her." Cornelia nodded in agreement.

"Elyon's full powers _will_ return eventually." Halinoor said. "We are looking for a way to constrain Nerissia outside of the crystal, though so far it doesn't look promising. But even if we never work out an alternative, well… Nerissia is mortal. She will die sooner or later. And given how much of her life force she expended using her powers, I doubt it'll be too terribly long. Five or six years, tops."

"Five or six _YEARS_?" demanded an angry Cornelia. "The Oracle promised something better for Elyon. He-" Elyon cut off her friend's building rage.

"Cornelia," Elyon said. "This IS better! I'll have my whole life to be the queen. My whole life to be the Heart of Meridian. But now, now I can be an almost normal kid for a while! I can go to school, hang out with you guys, be a part of doing something good! Don't get angry on my account, 'cause I couldn't be happier."

Before anything more could be said, the Oracle came out of his trance with a sudden gasp. Everyone gathered around him. "What have you learned?" Luba asked.

"Neera." he replied. "Our new enemy is Queen Neera." Halinoor and Luba gasped in fear.

"That fearful gasp can't be good news." Will said.

"No it isn't. For as Elyon is the Heart of Meridian, so Neera is the Dark Heart of Varthan. She is a force not to be trifled with. And she has set her sights on your loved ones."


	13. Episode Three Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Three: "Elyon: Unite!" Chapter Two

Kandrakar. Will stood before the Oracle, along with the other Guardians. "So, where do we find this Queen Neera? Where will she have taken our parents and how do we rescue them?" she asked.

The Oracle answered, "There's really only one place Neera's soldiers would have taken their captives. The dungeons beneath her palace on Varthan. I can and will implant in the minds of Queen Elyon and the Keeper of the Heart the spatial coordinates of Varthan, so that you will be able to open a fold to get there."

"Then what are you waiting for!" Irma shouted, "This nut bag witch has got my dad and Will's mom!"

"Preparation is essential." the Oracle answered. "There are three things you must know about before you go. First, Neera's palace is covered in scanners that can detect the use of most forms of magical energy. The air guardian's invisibility, and the fire guardian's telepathy, use small enough amounts of power that they should remain below the detection threshold of the scanners. You should use no other powers until you have to."

"In fact," Halinoor added, "You should go in human form and not transform until you have to either. Simply being powered up might trip the sensors. Also, you will not be able to open folds within the palace itself. Neera has that ability jammed at all times."

"That's rough. We're gonna need to detour to earth for supplies." said Taranee.

"Okay," Will said, "What's the third thing we need to know?"

The Oracle sighed. "Neera is unlike any adversary you have ever faced. You are physical beings who simply _use_ magic. So are myself, this counsel, and every enemy you have fought thus far. Neera _is_ magic. The very core of her being is steeped in magical energies, she is in fact a magic-based life form."

"It sounds like that would make her stronger than our other enemies." Matt said.

Halinoor answered, "Yes, it does. But it also imposes certain limits on her."

"Limits?" Elyon asked.

"Let me explain." said the Oracle. "You know there are certain rules that we, as physical beings, simply cannot violate. The laws of thermodynamics for example. As a magic-based entity, Neera also has laws that both she and her underlings must obey."

Cornelia asked, "Okay, how do these rules help us fight her?"

"I do not yet know. I am telling you about these rules for a different reason. Something you need to be aware of. Will. Irma." -Everyone was startled to hear the Oracle use their first names- "One of the rules that constrains Neera is that she cannot target, with physical violence, the family or friends of a magically empowered foe, unless those friends or family _are aware of the power that person possesses_."

"But… But that means…" Irma started to say.

"Yes. They know."

Hay Lin said, "How could this have happened? Why didn't they say something if they knew?"

"Maybe they just found out." Caleb suggested.

"Just found out and were kidnapped instantly?" Will asked in a skeptical tone.

Luba said, "It is possible. Perhaps Neera's servants planted clues, or somehow manipulated your parents into learning the truth in order to take them. It is only physical violence that they had to avoid before your parents knew the truth."

A horrified look came across Will's face. "The nightmares!" she exclaimed.

Varthan. Susan had managed to wake up Dean and Tom. They stood near the front of the cell examining the situation. "It's strange that there's no sign of guards. I wonder where everyone is?" said Dean.

Tom replied, "Maybe not so strange. Step away from those energy beams, I want to try something." Once Dean and Susan were in the clear, Tom pulled a pen from his pocket and threw it at the beams which formed the bars across the front of their cell. It was vaporized on contact. "No need for guards with prison bars like that."

Dean asked, "So how do we get out of here then? We can't just give up."

"No we can't." Susan said. "But we can't do it ourselves either. We've got to have faith that the girls will rescue us. We're in their hands now."

Earth. With the coordinates of Varthan in their heads the Guardians and their allies returned to the Silver Dragon. Will raised the heart and returned them to normal. "We've got shopping to do." she said. "All-black clothing for stealth, and some necessary tools as well. Everyone get what's needed and meet back here in an hour."

As they went their separate ways, Elyon turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, I still want both of you to settle back on earth for awhile. But first there's something important I need you to do in Meridian." She raised on her tiptoes and whispered into her mother's ear for several seconds.

"I understand." Miriabelle said. "And I'm proud of you for thinking ahead like this. We'll have everything ready."

"Thank you." Elyon opened a fold for them to use. Once they were through, she closed it and ran to catch up with Cornelia and Caleb.

Having found and installed his waterproof roof, Blunk felt his new home was ready to move into. Of course, the place still needed furniture. But Blunk had no idea of how to choose what would look right. The place needed a woman's touch. It was time to go get Mama.

The Silver Dragon, one hour later. In the basement, six girls and two guys, all dressed head to toe in black, checked the gear they were carrying. Mostly this consisted of mountain climbing and rappelling equipment since none of them could fly as humans. Taranee and Hay Lin carried medical kits.

"Everyone ready?" Will asked. "Let's do this." She held out the Heart and swept it in a vertical motion. A fold opened. One by one, they each passed through, from earth to Varthan.

Charcoal-black rocks and soil. A pitch black sky crisscrossed by constant lightning. Erupting volcanoes in every direction. This was Varthan, home world of Queen Neera. As the Guardians and the two boys looked around, they were overcome by the sheer and palpable sense of evil overhanging this world.

"Um Will," Taranee said, "We wanted Varthan not Mordor."

"No kidding. All we're missing is a big ugly eye and a midget screaming about "the precious." said Matt.

"And ten thousand Orcs." Hay Lin added.

A confused Caleb said, "What the heck are you three talking about?"

Cornelia patted him on the shoulder. "It's nerd humor sweetie. Ignore them."

Elyon said, "At least we won't have to go searching for the palace. That's _got_ to be it." Everyone turned to see what she was referring to. A huge edifice, composed of metal and stone, the structure rose at least fifty floors above the surrounding plain. The geometry of the building was like something out of a Giger painting, Lovecraftian and strange.

"Can we be sure that's it?"

"Trust me." Elyon said, "Even my brother couldn't have thought up something this twisted and wrong. That's it."


	14. Episode Three Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Three: "Elyon: Unite!" Chapter Three

Matt, Caleb, and the Guardians carefully followed a series of drainage ditches that led to the base of Neera's palace. Several times they stopped and waited as vast shadows, deeper and darker than the already blackened sky, passed overhead. Once, Hay Lin turned invisible and peeked over the top of the ditch to get a bearing. In the far distance she saw swarms of immense larvae, the same creatures that had attacked a village in Meridian.

"Well," Irma said after Hay Lin told them, "That explains where our mystery bugs came from. But why didn't Neera just send in tons of the things instead of just four?"

Caleb replied, "Good question. It reeks of some kind of strategy, but I can't get a handle on what it could be."

Taranee said, "Me either. A hundred of those thing would've wiped the floor with us. It's almost like Neera wants us alive, at least for now."

"But what purpose could she have for that?" asked Hay Lin

"A bad one."

After a short but slow hike, everyone safely reached the tower base. Matt noticed a wastewater exit pipe large enough to walk in stooped over, but it was covered with a grate. "Will, hand me the toolkit." he said.

Watching Matt and Will work on the grate, trying to dislodge it, Taranee said, "I wonder how far outside the building those sensors reach? Maybe we're still far enough outside I could just burn the grate off."

"Too risky." Elyon answered.

Will said, "And besides, we've found a socket size that's close enough to work. Everyone get over here and help us lower this thing quietly."

Seated in her throne room, Neera watched the Guardian and her boyfriend work at removing the grate. Of course they had come. Just as she expected. Just as she needed. She turned to her emissary. "Alert the palace guard. Phase Four has commenced."

He bowed. "As you command my Queen."

"Remember, we won't get enough information out of this single engagement. The Guardians themselves must be allowed to escape so we can test them again. The parents and the boyfriends, however, are a different story. In fact enraging a Guardian with a death before her very eyes will probably help matters along."

The emissary bowed again, and left to inform the soldiers.

Grate removed, everyone gathered a few feet into the drain and huddled together. "What's the plan?" Cornelia asked.

"We need to find out where we're going. Hay Lin, can you go invisible and scout ahead?" Will said.

"Sure thing." The girl disappeared from sight.

Taranee pulled out a notepad. "I'll stay in touch with Hay Lin and draw out as much of a map as I can based on what she sees. Hopefully we can just backtrack straight to this point."

Will said, "Good thinking."

Elsewhere in the palace, Hay Lin found an exit from the drains and entered a wide corridor. She relayed her observations back to Taranee. "There's no sign of any guards. This place is way too quiet." She continued on for several minutes until she came across a stairwell access. Next to the door were signs in a language she couldn't read. Luckily, the signs were attached to small pictographs. One of them depicted a prison cell, and had an arrow pointing down. "Bingo!" she thought.

Moving carefully and quietly as she could, Hay Lin descended the stairs, going down four levels until she found a door with the prison cage symbol and no down arrow. She eased the door open, expecting an alarm to sound. None did. Beyond was a narrow hallway lined with cells. No guards were in sight. In fact the only living things she saw anywhere were the three humans together in a single cell. Susan, Tom, and-

"Dean Collins!" Will exclaimed.

"That's what I said." Hay Lin thought back.

"Man oh man this just gets better and better." said Taranee.

"Okay guys hold it together." Elyon thought into the telepathic link. "We knew there was a third person, this doesn't really change much. Hay Lin, let them know you're there, make sure they're okay. We'll follow Taranee's map to find you."

Kandrakar. The Oracle, Halinoor, and Luba were walking together. "Neera. This certainly explains the visions we've all had." Luba said.

"Yes. The dark veil. Neera is the heart of a world. She would certainly have the power to do such a thing if she wished. Of course, it's hard to see why she would wish it. Her own armies would be as hampered in their movements as the Guardians. More so, in fact, given their larger numbers." Halinoor agreed.

The Oracle looked more concerned than either of his friends had ever seen him. "I am still not convinced of this. Neera's plans have always been subtle, and aimed more towards maintaining her control of those already under her heel than expanding her empire. This new aggression isn't consistent with her past behavior. She must have something significant to gain."

A worried look passed between the counsel members as they walked on.

"Pssst!" All three adults heard the sound at once. "Pssst!" it came again.

Tom saw nothing. Asked anyway, "Is someone there?"

"It's me Mr. Lair. Hay Lin."

Susan and Dean leapt up. "Hay Lin? Where are you?"

"Right in front of your cell. Invisible. Are you all okay? Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine Hay Lin." Susan answered. "What about you? Is Will okay? Is she here?"

"We're all here Mrs. Vandom. I came ahead since no one could see me, but the others are on their way behind me. We're gonna get you out of here, but you need to know a few things first."

"The first thing I want to know," Dean said, "is where on earth are we?"

"'On earth' is the wrong way to phrase it Professor. This is Queen Neera's palace on a planet called Varthan. Now listen; When the others get here, Will can get rid of these bars. But it'll use enough power to set off alarms and let the bad guys know we're here. So when the bars are down, get ready to _RUN_."

A few minutes later, the others arrived. Will reached between the bars and took Susan's hand. Irma did the same with her father. "Are you okay mom? Did they hurt you?" Will asked.

"We're all okay honey." Susan answered.

"I guess we've got a lot to talk about." Will said.

"We do. But it'll keep 'til were safe." Susan smiled.

Will let go, stepped back. "Listen up. Get as far away from the bars as you can. I don't wanna accidentally shock any of you." The three adults moved to the back of the cell. Will closed her eyes for a moment. Opened them. Clenched her left fist and felt the power building. She held up her arm, pointed towards the cell. "Quintessence!" Electrical energy surged forth from Will's hand, striking the bars. Arcs of power crackled back and forth dancing over the front of the prison cell. After a few moments, the bars vanished.

Susan rushed out and grabbed Will, hugging her tightly. Tom embraced Irma. Before anyone could say anything, the alarms began to sound. "That's our cue folks." Taranee said. "Time to get outta here."

"Excellent." Neera purred. "The guards are free to attack now. But remember the directions on whom they may kill. If a Guardian dies yet, the killer shall face _my_ wrath."


	15. Episode Three Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Three: "Elyon: Unite!" Chapter Four

Together, six Guardians, two boyfriends, two parents, and one very unlucky professor ran up the stairwell leading back to the entrance they had used to get in. Suddenly a group of twenty guards appeared on the stairs above them. As they stopped running, the lead guard called out, "Surrender! Bow before Queen Neera or suffer!"

"SO not happening." Cornelia said. She knelt and placed a hand on the step ahead of her. "Earth!" With a rumble vines grew out of the steps and walls entangling the guards. Three of them managed to cut free and charge. Before they could reach the Guardians, Elyon released a pair of light energy orbs that knocked two of them unconscious. The third made it to the group but was quickly dealt with by Caleb.

"Let's go!" Will said. They climbed past the vine-wrapped guards and continued to the floor they needed. But when they went through the door into the grand corridor they had passed through earlier, the formerly deserted palace now seemed overflowing with armed soldiers. At least two hundred filled the hallway, some riding on the backs of giant larvae.

"And there's the trap we knew was coming." said Taranee. "Let's rock… Fire!" Taranee ignited a flame in each hand and threw them at the nearest enemies, scattering them.

"Will, Matt, stay with our folks!" Irma shouted. "Hay Lin and I have got this!" Irma then focused her power over water, creating a flood to burst forth from pipes in the walls. Hay Lin directed a burst of frigid air over the soaking wet men, freezing them solid.

Tom looked at the frozen guards. He looked at his daughter. "Nice trick."

"Thanks," Irma said, "But it doesn't usually last long. We better move before-" With a great shattering sound the soldiers broke free and charged. One guard was in a perfect position to do great harm to Cornelia, but instead he leapt over her and charged at Caleb. Caleb drew his sword and defended himself but it was clear the man was stronger, more than a match. Cornelia sent a burst of earth energy racing toward her boyfriend's attacker, but it wasn't going to make it in time to save him.

"Light of Meridian!" Elyon shouted, sending a blinding flash of light that struck Caleb's opponent, knocking him twenty feet into the air. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Caleb grinned. "I'm supposed to be _your_ bodyguard!"

"Quintessence!" Will fired a blast of lightning at a charging larvae. It stumbled but kept coming. In fact, she saw it hadn't deviated to charge her but was still moving directly towards her mother. "Mom!"

Cornelia and Hay Lin heard Will's cry. They saw the larvae. "Remember what worked on these guys before?" Cornelia asked.

"Let's do it." Hay Lin answered. Cornelia teletransported between Susan and the larvae and raised a cloud of dust into the air. Hay Lin stirred it up creating a dust storm. The larvae quickly stopped rather than go through. In fact it stopped so fast it's rider was thrown clear and landed, unconscious, behind the Guardians.

Will grabbed Cornelia and Hay Lin and hugged them hard. For the next few minutes, the battle continued. Guards were piling up, but they just kept coming, faster than they could be dealt with. "We've got to get out of here!" Matt shouted. "Forget the way we came in, we'll never get there!"

"He's right!" Taranee agreed. She looked around. Saw a nearby door. "That way!"

"Air!" Hay Lin funneled a stream of wind that cleared the path to the door. With the way open, everyone made it easily. Matt and Caleb pulled the door panels closed and engaged the lock. The sound of pounding rose from the other side.

"This isn't gonna hold them for long." Caleb said. "We need an exit."

Together they all surveyed the room. It was small, with another door opening off the other side. This second door was also closed. Next to it, Will saw a small control box. "Time to have a talk with the local appliances" she said. She touched the control panel, sent a little energy into it. "Hey you. What's your name?"

"If you must know, my name is Terigan." it said. "And as you are intruders I must report you to the guards."

"Don't you hear that pounding? The guards already know we're here."

The panel replied, "Good point. I guess there is nothing more for us to say to each other."

Will was angry. "Now hold on you cheap pile of spare parts! I'm the one who gave you life! Don't you owe me a little something for that?"

"Well…"

"Look, all I want you to do is tell me what's on the other side of this door."

"Oh very well. If you must know, it's the outdoors. And before you ask, even if I was willing to help you by opening it, I can't. I'm just a security scanner, not a door control." Terigan said.

"Sounds like it's your turn Corny" Irma said. "You've got a way with doors."

"My pleasure." Cornelia said. "Earth!" A path of fractured stone grew from Cornelia's hand to the door. Vines grew and wrapped around each side of it.

While this was happening, Susan, who had listened to Will's side of the conversation with Terigan, said "So… When you're around, anything electrical comes alive and talks to you, is that right?"

"Oh yeah. It's getting them to shut up that's the problem."

"So when you were yelling at the microwave last week…"

Will chuckled. "All I wanted was a warm donut. But no. Anytime I ask Roger to heat something he starts in about how I need to eat something more nutritious."

"And if you think that's bad," Irma added, "You should hear your refrigerator."

Cornelia realized she wasn't budging the closed door panels. The vines she could grow in human form just weren't big enough. She turned, walked over to Will. "Will, I understand that you're holding back because you don't want to upset them further. But we need more power to get out of here, and there's only one way to get it. Do it Will."

The adults were confused. Will's diary never explicitly mentioned transformation. "Do what?" Tom asked.

"This is the cool part Pops." Irma said to him.

Will pulled the Heart from around her neck. Looked at Susan. "Mom, try not to freak out too much."

"Freak out about what?" Susan asked. Will remained quiet, eyes closed, Heart held in her hand. "Will, sweetie, what are you afraid I might 'freak out' over?"

Will opened her eyes. "This." She held out her hand and let go of the heart which remained hovering in the air. "Guardians Unite!"

As Susan, Tom, and Dean watched, the crystal, the "Heart of Kandrakar," Susan reminded herself, hovered in thin air. All six of the girls began to float up alongside it. Then the Heart released six colored orbs of light, each of which surrounded one of the girls. Both parents wanted to shout out for their daughters, but knew this was what they had intended.

Moments later, the brightly shining orbs vanished and the girls were visible again. They were wearing odd uniforms, and seemed taller and more mature. Small wings allowed them to fly, but they slowly drifted back to the ground. Will stood before Susan. "Hi mom." she said shyly.

"Will. You look so… different!"

"Yeah. Yan Lin says this is what we'll actually look like normally in about three years. Minus the wings of course."

"Of course."

"Irma," Tom said, "In spite of the fact that you kept this hidden, I am so very proud of you."

"Thanks dad." Irma hugged her father.

"Family fun time can wait." Cornelia said. "Now that I've got full power, this door is going away. Earth!" Cornelia pounded the floor hard. The fractured stone grew wider and more jumbled, and the vines wrapped about the door thicker and stronger. Cornelia stood, crossed her arms, then made a wide, fast, spreading motion. The door went away, torn apart by the vines.

The pounding at the other door grew louder. "No time to waste!" Elyon exclaimed. "Let's get clear and leave this world behind!" Everyone ran for the exit as the interior door burst open.


	16. Episode Three Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Three: "Elyon: Unite!" Chapter Five

The door blew in and Neera's palace guard swarmed into the small chamber. It was empty. Opposite their entry point the exterior door stood open. The guards gave chase again. Seated in her throne room, Neera observed this action impassively. All was going according to plan. Of course, it was looking more and more like the Guardians would manage to save all of their friends. No matter. A death would have made things even better, but it wasn't a required part of the plans. And they did still have one more wave of warriors to get past…

Outside, the adults slowed to a stunned halt as they saw the landscape of Varthan for the first time. The girls quickly grabbed them, two apiece, and began to fly away from the palace. They didn't get far before the ground below them rumbled, then erupted as a dozen warrior larvae emerged and attacked.

"Can we open a fold yet?" Taranee shouted.

"No! We need a little more distance." Will answered.

"We're not getting it with these guys in the way!"

Irma looked at Taranee, who was helping to carry her father. "Think girl! Put that big brain to work. These things are big, but they're still bugs. How can you distract bugs?"

Surprising everyone, it wasn't Taranee who answered, but Elyon. "Light!" she said. "Bugs are drawn to light! Matt, take over helping carry Collins! I've got a plan!"

Matt grew out his Shagon wings and flew up, relieving Elyon. Cornelia shouted, "What are you doing?"

"Bugs are attracted to bright lights! My power _is_ light! Let's see what I can do!" Elyon flew high into the sky and began creating and releasing balls of pure bright light. These were too weak to actually hurt anything, they were just bright points of light. As the lights fell, they flew past the larvae, which were distracted by them and followed them away.

Elyon flew back down to the others. "Shine a little light in their lives." she said.

Cornelia stared at her friend for a moment. She finally said, "Girl, are you _quipping!" _They both laughed.

"All that leaves is the guards coming up from behind." Will said. "And we can outrun them." Together, they all flew until they were far enough away to be able to open a fold. "One express fold ticket back to earth, coming up!" she said.

"No wait!" Elyon said, stopping Will. "Not earth. Not directly. Take us to Meridian first, the processional bridge in front of the main palace gates! Trust me on this Will!"

"Meridian it is." Will said. "She opened a fold and everyone rushed through before the guards could catch up.

In the palace, Neera turned to Aljax. "What say you? How much did we get?"

"Thirty-five percent, my Queen." he answered. "Two or three more engagements should provide the last of what we need."

"Excellent. Phase four is complete. Now, who shall we target for phase five?"

"I have several options ready for your consideration my Queen." Aljax spread images before Neera. They included all of the closest friends and family members of the Guardians…

Meridian. As everyone emerged from the fold, they saw the reason Elyon had insisted upon coming here first. Her adopted parents stood waiting for them. And behind them stood the entire army of Meridian. Will closed the fold. Cornelia looked at Elyon. "You planned this out?"

"Yeah, before I caught up with you and Caleb. There's a chance they'll open their own fold and follow us. If they do they'll get a surprise." Elyon said. She turned to the massed army. "Get ready! If our enemy does follow, they'll be showing up any second."

Susan Tom and Dean stood by Aldarn and Miriabelle. The Guardians, Matt, and Caleb took point positions in front of the army. They waited. After several minutes, it became clear no chase was forthcoming. Elyon dismissed the army, though Caleb, Raythor, and her parents insisted on staying. Will used the Heart to return the Guardians to normal.

An hour later, Miriabelle served a meal for Susan, Tom and Dean. As they sat, they began to talk. "Susan, Tom," she said, "I know how hard this has to be on both of you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Susan said. "This _is_ a big adjustment. I don't know which way is up right now. But… I'm very proud of Will." she smiled.

"And I of Irma." Tom said. "I want to make her stop, but I wonder how I can. I wonder _if_ I can. I wonder if I _should_."

Miriabelle said, "I suspect the girls will take you to Kandrakar before you return home. Perhaps the Oracle can help you find the answers you seek. He is very wise and kind."

"I hope so." Susan thought. "Dear God I hope so…"

Will stood staring over the edge of a high balcony when Irma came and stood next to her. "I wonder what happens next?" Irma said. "We need a cover story for what happened to dad."

"Yeah." Will answered. Irma noticed tears in her friend's eyes.

"Will, what's wrong?"

"Irma, how are you even speaking to me? It was my mom that put your father in danger! There's no indication Neera was even after him until Mom called him and bought him into this!" Will was about to break down in tears.

Irma grabbed Will and hugged her hard. "Now you listen to me missy. Your mom did what she thought she had to do for both of us! I'm not gonna hold that against her or you. Got it?"

Will smiled. "Got it."

"Okay, now let's go find the others. There's no time like the present for a trip to Kandrakar."


	17. Episode Four Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Four: "Status Quo" Chapter One

Meridian. Elyon hovered above the proving grounds in Guardian form. She eyed the wooden targets set up before her. Glanced back at the other Guardians and their friends and families. She began to focus.

"So what exactly is the point of this exercise?" Dean Collins asked.

Raythor replied, "Before her powers as the Heart of Meridian were stolen by Nerissia, her majesty could've cleared every target on this field and not even felt winded. Since then, she's been doing good to wipe out ten of them. I think she wants to see just how well she can do with these new Guardian powers."

"It may seem like a waste of time," Caleb added, "But it's important for someone who may need to fight to know their limits. It can make the difference between life and death."

"I thought you felt like the Queen should stay out of battle." Hay Lin said.

Caleb, Aldarn, and Miriabelle answered simultaneously, "We do." Caleb finished the thought with, "But I'm resigned to it."

Focused and ready, Elyon unleashed her attack, a double surge of coherent light energy pulses. Each followed a slightly different path through the field of targets, obliterating as they went. When the haze cleared, she could see that each pulse had eliminated at least thirty targets, plowing twin paths all the way through the field front to back. And she hadn't even pushed herself. "Now this I can work with!" she happily exclaimed.

Earth. Aljax crept through the empty human dwelling and found the room he was looking for. He slipped in and looked around. "A bedchamber." he thought. "But I had better be certain it's the right one." He searched for clues that this was indeed the room he wanted. Found it in a photograph of the Water Guardian perched atop a desk. Turning to the bed, he slipped a small package under the pillow.

He sighed. For the first time since this project had begun, he had doubts as to the Dark Queen's choice of strategy. For one thing, he wasn't sure it was right to antagonize the same Guardian twice in a row. There were three others, after all. Four, if you counted the new change to Queen Elyon. But worse, he wasn't even sure the Guardian would be upset in the least. She didn't even seem to like this individual.

The sound of a door opening bought Aljax out of his reverie. He opened a fold and returned to Varthan. Moments later, Martin Tubbs walked into his bedroom…

Kandrakar. A fold opened in the counsel chamber, admitting six Guardians and three adults. The counsel awaited them, as did Yan Lin, Kadma, and Cassidy. "Welcome Guardians." the Oracle said, "Welcome honored guests."

Susan looked about the chamber in awe. She turned to Will. "_This_ is where your powers come from?"

Will grinned. "Pretty cool huh? I'll show you the Aura Mirror chamber before we go. But first, Mom, Mr. Lair, Professor Collins, this is the Oracle."

The tall bald man bowed deeply. "I am most pleased that you are all safe. I know you have come seeking answers to questions, and guidance in how to proceed in your lives from here."

"Can you help us?" Tom asked.

"Most assuredly." The Oracle motioned towards the three adult women. "You know Yan Lin already. These others are Kadma and Cassidy. They are three of the former Guardians, and my associate Halinoor is the fourth. They are the ones best suited to answer most of your questions. First, though, we have a pair of major concerns to deal with."

"Yeah." Will said, "How can we go back to our old lives when Neera's wide open to attack our parents again?"

"Not to mention that my house is swarming with cops wanting to know who kidnapped my dad, and why their blood wasn't red." Irma said.

The Oracle answered, "The first concern is resolved easily. Remember Neera must obey her Rules of Engagement. You have freed your parents and Mr. Collins. Therefore, these three cannot be intentionally targeted again, ever."

"You mean they're totally safe now?" asked a relieved Will.

"Not totally. Neera cannot purposely target them because of who they are. They would still be vulnerable to, for example, a random shot in the heat of battle from a soldier who didn't know who they were. It is _intent_ that they are now safe from."

"Okay." Tom said, "Susan and Dean are in the clear. I still need some kind of explanation for why guys with black blood broke into my house and kidnapped me, and of how I got away from them."

"At the risk of oversimplifying, sometimes the most basic tactics work the best. You could feign ignorance in the entire matter. You don't know who they were or why they attacked you. You woke up abandoned in the city dump with no memory of how you got there."

"They won't buy it for a second." Tom said. "But they won't be able to argue it either. They'll keep a close eye on me for awhile, but I should come out of it okay if I can play dumb convincingly enough."

"Actually, Irma might be able to help you with that." said Hay Lin. "She's got those hypnosis powers. Maybe she could put a suggestion in your head that this story is true."

Irma said, "It's a good idea. It would wear off after a few hours, but it'd give you the edge even if they put a lie detector on you. But dad, I won't do it unless you're okay with it."

"It's the best choice. Just be careful with the real memories in here." Tom said, tapping his head.

Irma laughed. "Don't worry Pops. I'll be careful. Though… maybe I should embellish the amnesia with a false memory. Would you like something with little grey aliens?"

"Very funny."


	18. Episode Four Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Four: "Status Quo" Chapter Two

Meridian. The escape had been sudden. Vathic and his fellow prison guards were taken totally by surprise. One moment all was well. The next the prisoner was free and four men were immobilized. "Should we contact the Queen and the Guardians?" Julian asked him.

"No. It's not like the escapee is Cedric, or God forbid, Phobos. We can't turn to the Guardians every time the littlest thing goes wrong. We should be able to track and recapture this one ourselves."

"Alright. I'll have guards with tracking hounds ready in five minutes."

"Good. We're getting our little troublemaker back ourselves."

Kandrakar. Tom, Susan, and Dean walked the wide aisle ways with the four former Guardians. As they walked, they discussed the situation they now found themselves in. "I've decided to not try and stop Will from doing this. But for the life of me, I don't know _why_ I'm allowing it." Susan said.

Yan Lin answered, "That's simple enough. If you _did_ stop Will, what reason would you have for doing so?"

"Her safety of course."

"Exactly. And do you think, that just because I used to do this, I wouldn't be concerned for my granddaughter's safety, and stop her if I thought it would keep her safe?"

"You're saying stopping them wouldn't mean safety?" Susan asked.

"Exactly." Kadma answered. "What Yan Lin knows, you suspect unconsciously. That's why you haven't decided to stop Will."

Yan Lin said, "Yes indeed. It's like this: If these girls are not the Guardians, no one is. If there are no Guardians, evil forces the Guardians could have stopped are not stopped. They get stronger and stronger, until even the Guardians couldn't face them. Then they come for the Guardians' power."

"So if we stopped them to keep them safe, it would backfire." Tom said.

"Precisely."

"Okay," Dean said, "But what about not telling the other parents? It still seems wrong to me."

"Dean you heard what the Oracle said. They're safe from this Neera if they stay in the dark." Susan said. "We can't tell them for now, for their own safety."

Tom agreed. "I think the kid's plan on this one is best. We'll keep quiet, but watch them very closely for any sign Neera's agents are starting to work on them. If such signs show up, we'll decide how to proceed from there."

"It really is the best way to go." Cassidy said.

"Yeah. I suppose so."

Elsewhere in Kandrakar, the teens were relaxing as they discussed where things might go from here. "This might be the end of w.i.t.c.h." Will said. "At the very least, I'm gonna be grounded until I'm forty over this."

"I'm wondering how my dad's gonna deal with my punishment." Irma said. "It'll have to be something subtle that my mom won't even notice."

Caleb sat next to Cornelia. "I dunno. Maybe you're both looking at this the wrong way. They seem to be taking it really well so far."

"_So far _is the operant term. I think they're just in shock." Will said.

"At least they're talking to Granma." Hay Lin said. "If anyone can convince them, it's her."

Accompanied by the baying of tracking hounds, Vathic, Julian, and five prison guards followed the path the escapee had taken into the countryside. Attempts had been made early on to confuse pursuit by looping back over the path multiple times, but after awhile it became a straight course leading in a clear direction.

"Looks like we're heading for the Passling village." Julian said.

"Yeah, and I think I know why." Vathic answered.

Earth. Martin Tubbs sat on the edge of his bed. Removed his newest comics from the bag they were in. It was a good day to just lean back in bed and read. As he leaned against the pillow, he heard a crinkling sound. "What the heck?" he thought.

Martin looked under his pillow and found a package wrapped in heavy paper. Opening it, he found a VHS cassette tape and a note. The note was written in English, but clearly by a hand unaccustomed to the language. It read:

_Martin,_

_ I thought you'd like to know a little something about your beloved Irma. She's hiding her true self from you. Play the tape._

_ A friend_.

"What is this all about?" Martin wondered. "And who uses VHS anymore? Oh well. Might as well see what this is about." He slid the tape into the long unused VCR and pressed play.

Varthan. Neera sighed deeply as she watched Martin watching the tape. It was really too bad that this wasn't good enough. Martin would mistake the tape for special effects, which meant his seeing wouldn't count as knowing. Still, it was a seed planted. His desire to learn how it was done would lead him to the truth.

Aljax seemed nervous. "What is wrong faithful servant?" Neera asked. "I have already told you, your services have made you too valuable to eat."

"It's not that my Queen. I just still fear we're wasting our time. The Water Guardian shows no sign of caring about this person at all."

"Trust your Queen Aljax. She loves him, even if she cannot admit it to herself. It is just a matter of making her realize that just as he is learning the truth about her…"


	19. Episode Four Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Four "Status Quo" Chapter Three

Earth. Hay Lin went upstairs to check on her parents. She found them working in the Dragon's kitchen. "Hay Lin! Where have you been?" her father demanded. "You knew you were supposed to help with deliveries today!"

"I'm sorry dad, but-"

Yan Lin interrupted her granddaughter. "Calm yourself son. She has been helping me with some other matters."

"Oh. Well… Alright, but tell me in the future!"

"I will dad. So, any deliveries ready to go?"

"You know it," he said, hefting a huge package at her. "Address is on the tag."

"Wonderful."

Cornelia entered her family's kitchen. "What's for dinner?"

"I've ordered pizza." her mother answered. "It's all Lillian seems to want today, and I don't really feel like cooking anyway. How was your date with Caleb?"

"Good. I'll go wash up for dinner. Have you seen the cat?"

" I think he's with Lillian in her room."

Cornelia went down the hall to Lillian's room. Inside, the younger girl had dozed off. Napoleon stood guard over her. When he saw Cornelia, he quietly leapt off the bed and ran to her room. "So what's the four-one-one doll?" he asked.

"Big trouble. Some whacked out freak named Queen Neera. She's after our families, but she can't actually hurt them unless they know about us." Cornelia answered.

"Sounds like another reason to keep things under wraps." the cat said.

"Easier said than done. She got to Will's mom through dreams."

"Bad news." Napoleon agreed. "I'll stay on guard."

Elyon looked through the front door her mother had just opened. "Wow. Who would've thought so much dust could build up in just a few months?"

"Home sweet home." Aldarn said. "Let's get cleaning." Elyon smiled. A chance at some normal life. It seemed too good to be true.

Having temporarily zapped away her dad's memories of what really happened, Irma led a confused Tom out of the dump and walked him towards their home. The cover story was that she was walking on her way to visit Hay Lin when she stumbled across him.

As they approached their home, a couple of Tom's fellow street cops saw them and ran over, asking what had happened. "I don't know." Irma said. "I just found him like this." A look of suspicion passed between them, but they said nothing. Working together, they got him into the house, where Anna screamed in joy and grabbed Irma while the medics checked Tom over…

An hour later. Tom had recovered enough to talk to the investigators. He was polite, and tried to help them, but had no answers to give. An F.B.I. man insisted on hooking Tom to a polygraph, but found no sign of deceit. Eventually, everyone left, instructing the family to avoid the room the firefight had went down in until they gave the all clear.

Irma had slipped away to her room. As she sat trying to catch up on homework, Tom entered. "That was close Irma. The memories came back less than ten minutes after they finished that lie-detector test."

"Really? It should have lasted longer. Guess maybe I was afraid to zap you up too hard." Irma answered. They were both quiet for several seconds. Finally Irma said, "I guess we need to get it over with. How much trouble am I in?"

Tom sighed. "Irma, I should ground you for life. I really should. Before that talk with Yan Lin, I probably would have. But… You're doing good things Irma. Helping innocent people who can't help themselves. I… I'm proud of you. And I'm not going to punish you, or try to stop you."

"Thank you!" Irma exclaimed, as she jumped into her father's arms and hugged him tightly.

"Just keep me in the loop. And help me keep an eye on your mom and brother for whatever Neera tries next."

Taranee tried to sneak into her home, but her mother was waiting for her. "Where have you been young lady?" Theresa Cook asked. "I've called your cell phone eight times in the last hour and gotten nothing."

"That's weird." Taranee said. "I had it on. Never rang."

"Riiiight…. I'll buy that when elephants fly. Just admit you were with Nigel and didn't want to answer."

"Okay okay, you caught me. Listen, can I go start on my homework? I've got a paper due next week I need to finish up."

"Go ahead." Theresa said. As Taranee rushed up the stairs, she turned to Lionel. "The girl is hiding something again."

"You're imagining thing Theresa." Lionel said. "She's a teenager, of course she keeps to herself away from us."

"Maybe…"

Susan and Will sat in their living room on the couch. Dean had helped to fix the door, then left, begging the need for sleep. "I'll call you in the morning." he said, kissing Susan's cheek.

Will sat, looking at her mother, who was still and silent. After twenty minutes, she couldn't take it anymore. "Mom? Please say something."

Suddenly, Susan turned and grabbed Will in a tight embrace. She was crying. "Will, sweetie, I am _so_ sorry!" she sobbed.

Confused, Will replied, "Sorry? Uh, mom, maybe you're still confused by everything that's happened. See, you're supposed to be angry, ground me for life, and demand that I stop being a Guardian…" She was cut off by Susan's sobs turning to laughter.

"Oh Will." she said pulling back. "I'm not doing either of those things. Yan Lin gave me a good reason to not try to stop you from what you do. It would backfire in the end and hurt you more. And as for punishing you for keeping this secret…"

Will looked at her mother in shock. "Yes?"

"Will, I meant it when I said I was sorry. Sorry for all those times in the last year when I've yelled at you, and berated you, and punished you, for being "immature" and "irresponsible", when it was really because you were carrying all this weight."

Will was in tears now too. "Mom-" she said, and grabbed her mother tightly. "I love you."

After a few minutes, Susan said, "So, are you getting hungry too?"

"Yeah. But can we order out? I don't feel like dealing with "Dave" right now.

"Dave?"

"The refrigerator."

"This is really going to take some getting used to."

"You have no idea."


	20. Episode Four Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Four: "Status Quo" Chapter Four

Meridian. Blunk sat in Mama's home, trying to convince her to come with him to his new home on earth. "But Mama," he said, "Blunk build nice home in abandoned sewer room! Lots of space, and no monsters! No monsters!"

"No monsters does sound nice Blunky-boo. But Mama like her home here."

"Can't Mama at least come see? Blunk need decorating advice!"

Suddenly, Blunk heard another voice speak behind him. A familiar voice. "Ah, here you are." Blunk was lifted off the floor.

"Blunky-boo!" Mama cried out.

Blunk held his hands together, "Please no eat Blunk!"

"Don't worry. I don't intend to hurt you or your mother at all. And I won't have to if you just do as I say. All I want from you is a fold to earth. Give me that and I'll let you go unharmed."

"Okay, okay!" Blunk said. He opened a fold, and was promptly carried through…

Nighttime. Martin hadn't been so excited in ages. Who knew Irma's love of radio also carried into movie special effects. Who had finished those effects, and how had they made it look so real? "Tomorrow morning," he thought, "I've got to find Irma and talk to her. I know now I don't have a chance with her, but I think I'm still a friend at least. Maybe she'll let me be a part of this movie."

He pressed play and started watching again. "I wonder how they made her look older?" he wondered. "She looks at least sixteen in this footage. Oh well, hopefully I'll find out tomorrow." Martin turned of the television and went to sleep.

Will lay in bed, not yet asleep. She held the Heart in her hands, turning it over and over. "You guys still awake?" she thought.

"I'm here." Taranee answered.

"Me too" said Elyon and Hay Lin.

"Barely awake but I'm here." Cornelia replied. "I need my beauty sleep."

"Still wide awake." Irma thought.

"Big surprise here. Mom's not punishing me at all, or trying to stop me from being a Guardian. Can you believe it?"

"Will that's awesome!" Elyon said. "Irma, what about you?"

"Same thing. I wonder what Yan Lin said to them?"

"I could probably find out." said Hay Lin.

"Nah, don't bother." Taranee replied. "Though, this gives me hope for if my own parents ever find out. Mom's tough, but I can just sic your Granma on her."

Hay Lin laughed. 'What about you Cornelia? How do you think your parents would handle it?"

The telepathic link filled with the sound of Cornelia snoring. Everyone laughed.

"Guess that's our cue as well. We do have school in the morning. G'night ladies." Will thought, then tuned out of the link.

Varthan. Neera closed the viewing portal that had been focused on Martin's room. "You see, my servant? Already his curiosity is piqued. He will attempt to learn the truth from the Guardian. This will accomplish two things. First, the understanding that he is in potential danger will force her to confront her feelings for him, ensuring she will come for him when he is taken."

"And second?" the emissary asked.

"Aljax, answer this one for me. I'm famished." Neera grabbed a guard and began to eat.

Aljax said to the emissary, "Martin Tubbs will not accept the Guardian's protest that there is no "special effects" movie. He will follow her and learn the truth." He turned to the Queen. "My Queen, shall I lead this capture party as well?"

"No." Neera said between bites. "The Guardians will be ready this time. We need someone powerful enough to snatch our target out from under them. Garix?"

A large creature moved from out of the shadows. "You call upon me, my Queen?" Garix asked.

"Aljax will prepare you for your next mission. I am confident in you my son."

Garix bowed. "Thank you Mother."

Meridian. Vathic and Julian, together with their guards, emerged from the forest into a clearing. Below, at the bottom of the hill, they could see the Passling village. "You ready for this?" Vathic asked.

"I'm ready for the fight." Julian answered. "The smell not so much. I've gotten used to just Blunk. He's not so bad. But a whole town full of them? I really wish I had a mask."

"You and me both friend. Let's do this." Together, they charged for the village, and the escaped prisoner they knew was there.


	21. Episode Four Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Four: "Status Quo" Chapter Five.

Sheffield Institute. Early morning. Irma had arrived early, intending to prepare the radio show for broadcast. She was met in the hall by Martin. 'Irma, why didn't you tell me? That movie you're making is awesome!"

Confused, Irma asked, "Movie? Martin what are you talking about?"

"Play dumb all you want sugar bell." Martin said. "But someone slipped me a copy of some of the special effects scenes! _It's incredible_! Irma, I want to be a part of helping out with this film! C'mon!"

"Special effects scenes?" Irma felt a terrible suspicion growing. "What scenes would those be Martin?" she asked.

"Oh, you know! That cool winged pixie stuff. The ones where you look older and fly around shooting water at stuff. By the way, how _did_ you make yourself look so much older?"

"Martin, I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Now will you please go down and check on the transmitters?"

"I'll go," he replied, "But don't think this conversation is over. I want in on that movie."

Once Martin was out of the room, Irma opened his bag. Inside, she found the tape and the note, which she confiscated. "Guys?" she thought to the others, "We've got a problem. I'll tell you at lunch, he's still safe for now. But I know who Neera's next target is: Martin."

At noon the girls matt and Caleb met for lunch. They had to eat outside to avoid Martin who was still coming after Irma to be "A part of the movie."

"I don't get this." Irma said sitting down. "Why Martin? Shouldn't Neera be going after people we like?"

There was a long silence as everyone, even Caleb, just looked at Irma. "What?" she finally asked.

Elyon said, "Irma, look… You might not be aware of it but it's obvious to the rest of us."

"Painfully obvious." Taranee said.

"Has been for a long time." Matt added.

"What are you talking about?" Irma demanded.

Will said, "Irma, _YOU_ like Martin. Think about it. Remember how upset you were when he was under Nerissia's little beauty spell? Or the fake exchange student he swooned over?"

"Or," Hay Lin added, "The fact that the only date you've even been on, that you didn't complain afterwards, was the one with Martin?"

"We can all tell hon." Cornelia said. "You're the only one in the dark here, aside from maybe Martin himself."

"No, you're wrong." Irma said, but deep down she began to wonder. After all, she couldn't deny that the things Will and Hay Lin had pointed out were true. Could they be right? Did she actually feel this way? How could it be if _she_ didn't even realize it? She was worried about Martin now that she knew Neera was after him. But wasn't that the common decency of being worried about anyone in such danger?

"Irma are you okay?" Elyon asked.

"I don't know."

That night, Will and Susan were at home preparing dinner. Will had agreed to tell Susan the whole story in her own voice, face to face. As they were finishing up the preparations, there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Susan said. She opened the door. "Dean! I wasn't expecting you."

"I wanted to stop by, see how you were doing." he said hugging her.

"Thanks Dean, but Will and I had plans tonight. We were going to-"

"Who is it Mom?" Will interrupted. "Oh, Professor Collins!"

"Will I was just telling him we had plans."

"What? No mom don't chase him off." Will walked over to them. "Look, Professor, I know we didn't get off to a good start. But, you two love each other right? I'm not gonna make trouble. Besides, the way things are going I suspect I might be talking to my future stepfather here, am I right?"

"I think you might be Will." Dean said. "Though it's your mother's choice."

"Anyway, you might as well be a part of this. I'll set another plate." Will said. She hurried into the kitchen.

"Wow." Dean said.

"Yeah. Never thought I'd see that." Susan agreed.

Over dinner, Will led Susan and Dean through the entire story. They already knew the basics from her diary, but she told them the details as well. Susan was disturbed to learn that Matt had been Shagon, but accepted that he was himself again. Both adults almost choked when she got to the talking cat. But in the end, the tale was told.

"You know Professor, we really are all sorry about the whole incident we had with you. We were kind of new at this thing back then."

He looked at her. "I'll let bygones be bygones. Listen, Will, I was thinking, don't you think it'd be easier to call me Dean?"

"Dean?"

"As opposed to 'professor' all the time." Susan whispered.

"Oh, right." Will blushed. "That'll take some getting used to. But I guess I can try it out."

"To a new status quo then." Dean said.

Meridian. The Passling village. Vathic and Julian stood in the center of Mama's home. "Blunky-boo forced to open fold!" she cried. "Criminal said would let Blunky-boo go when fold was opened. Took him through instead! Where is Mama's Blunky-boo?"

"Earth" Vathic thought. "Escaped through a fold to a place we can't follow." Enraged, he slammed his fist down, breaking a chair. "MIRANDA!" he shouted…


	22. Episode Five Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Author's Note: The primary events in this episode and the next may seem like an unnecessary departure from the main storyline. However, it is crucial to a number of future events that I develop Miranda's character along these lines. I want to thank Lexvan, whose Miranda story "Nice" helped to inspire my vision for these episodes.

Season Three Episode Five: "Damascus Road, Part One" Chapter One.

Meridian. Ten years ago. The remains of the small village still smoldered as the two men walked through its ruins surveying the damage. Shattered homes, burning rubble, and dead bodies stretched in all directions. One of the men turned to the other. "Cedric, was this your doing?" Phobos asked.

"No my prince." Cedric replied. "This was most likely the work of one of the Hillborne tribes. They harbor a deep, _deep_ hatred for the people who lived in this place. I would guess they decided to act on those feelings."

"I wonder if we could enlist these Hillborne into my armies. The fighting prowess exhibited here is most impressive."

"Doubtful, my prince. They have never sworn allegiance to any of Meridian's rulers."

Before Phobos could answer, they both heard a distinct sound. Following it to its source, they discovered a survivor, a small child of about three or four. "Perhaps this wasn't a wasted trip after all Cedric." Phobos said. He turned to the child. Put on his best fake smile. "Hello little one. My name is Phobos. I'll make certain no one harms you. Can you tell me your name?"

"M… Miranda…" the child answered.

Earth. Present day. Blunk had passed out in terror. When he awoke, the first thing he saw was Miranda standing over him in the form of a giant spider. "Liar!" he said, "You promise to not hurt Blunk in exchange for fold!"

Miranda resumed her normal human form. "I didn't lie passling. Here's the deal: All I want is to be left alone. I know you'll go to the Guardians, so I need a head start. I've made the webbing binding you a little weaker than normal. You should be able to get free in, oh, half an hour of struggling with it. That lets you go unharmed, and gives me the head start I need." She turned and walked away.

The Vandom residence. Will tossed a burnt out light bulb into the trash. "G'bye Mr. Hoffa." she quipped.

"Will, what was that?" Susan asked.

"Just a burned out bulb."

"I'm shocked you're so flippant about it. Isn't it like a death in the family to you?"

"What? Oh, heck _no_. Light bulbs are arrogant jerks."

"Will… …what?"

"Oh yeah, Light bulbs are all like, 'Ooh, look at me! I'm bright and shiny and if you touch me I'll burn your hand off.'" Will slipped on her jacket. "I'm going out, meeting Matt for lunch."

"Okay. Will, you'll call me if you have to… go anywhere?"

"Count on it."

The Lair home. Having been given the all-clear, Tom was working on fixing up the damaged living room. He was spackling the bullet holes in the wall when Irma entered the room. "Need a hand.?" she asked.

"Nah. I got this. And I'm about to take a break anyway."

"Good timing then. Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Tom looked around, confirmed no one else was in earshot. Sat down in his favorite chair. "Is this 'work related'?" he asked.

"Not directly." Irma replied, sitting across from him. "I'm just wondering, is it possible to like a person and not realize you like them? Even to like a person and think you actually hate them?"

Tom grinned. "Is this about the Tubbs boy?"

"That answers that question. Seriously, am I the only one in the dark about my own feelings here?"

"Pretty much."

Miranda walked down a street in an impoverished part of Heatherfield. Her previous visit here had sent her to specific locations. As a result, she hadn't had the chance to appreciate just how huge earth cities were compared to their Meridian equivalents. She was losing time. The passling was surely free and going for help by now.

As she was pondering what to do, she caught a scent. The smell of the Guardians, but diluted with another she didn't recognize. "Someone they know." she thought. "I can buy time if I stick close to them until I think of a plan. They won't dare try to grab me in full sight of friends." Looking toward the scent, she saw a thin boy and a short girl, overloaded with heavy bags.

Martin and Alchemy were on their way to the Lighthouse Shelter with donated supplies of food. As they rounded the street corner, they nearly stumbled into a dark haired girl they didn't know. Startled, Martin dropped one of the bags, spilling it's contents. "Oh, excuse me! I didn't see you there." he said.

"No trouble." Miranda replied. She knelt down and started helping to pick up the cans. "My name's Miranda, I'm new in town."

"I'm Alchemy, and this is Martin. We're taking this food to the shelter, and then we're staying to help out for a few hours. Wanna come?"

"Sure, why not." They finished refilling the bag. "You better let me carry this one. Don't want anymore accidents." As they walked on together, Miranda thought to herself, "This is too perfect. I've got plenty of time to come up with a plan now, assuming the Guardians even find me. It's not like they'd look for me in a place like this anyway."


	23. Episode Five Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Five: "Damascus Road, Part One" Chapter Two

Meridian, five years ago. Half a decade in Phobos' court had taken it's toll on Miranda. The girl had learned the hard lessons from the prince and his general, Lord Cedric: No one was good. No one was innocent. The world was nothing more than a place where the strongest survived by preying on the weak. Hope, faith, compassion, and most of all, love, were lies.

At least her fighting skills were progressing fast enough that they weren't beating her anymore. In a heart grown cold with fear, anger, and loneliness, Miranda thought to herself, "I'll never be taken in by the lies. And I'll never let myself be used by those who pretend to care. I'll be as hard and cold as Phobos. And then I'll survive…"

Earth, the Vandom residence. Present day. Susan and Dean sat watching an old movie. Something had been on Susan's mind since Dean's last visit, when Will had told them the whole story of her life for the past year. How he had answered a question Will had asked. "Dean? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course Susan, what is it?"

"The other night, when Will suggested you might be her future stepfather, you said 'It's up to your mother." How exactly did you mean that?"

Dean smiled. "I haven't bought an engagement ring yet, if that's what you mean. But that said, the only reason I haven't is because I've not been able to find just the right one yet. I do want to marry you Susan, if you feel the same way."

Before Susan could answer, there came a tapping at the window. "Now what could that be?" Susan wondered. She went to the window and looked out onto the fire escape ledge. A small green creature stood on the ledge. Susan opened the window and said, "Uh… It's Blunk, right?"

"Yes, me Blunk!" he replied. Grabbed Susan's hand and shook it as he came through the window. "Blunk honored to finally meet Guardian's mother. Is she home? Blunk have bad news. Miranda escape from prison, force Blunk to bring her here to earth."

"She's not home, but I can call her cell phone. Hang on."

Miranda stood with Martin and Alchemy in front of the shelter. Many people were coming and going, some volunteers, and other those in need of help. "So, what exactly do they do here?" Miranda asked.

"You're joking right?" Alchemy asked. "Surely they've got homeless shelters in your hometown don't they?"

"Not really. When I said I was from out of town, I also meant 'out of the country.' There are probably more people in this one city than we've got in our entire nation. I've never seen anyplace like this."

"Well, the concept is simple enough." Martin explained, "There are lots of people who, for one reason or another, can't quite support themselves. Some have lost jobs in the bad economy, others just aren't paid enough to cover expenses. Those of us who are better off donate time, money, and supplies to try and help out."

Miranda looked confused. "Why?"

"These are good people Miranda. Innocent people who didn't ask for what life has bought on them. Even the 'more fortunate' among us are usually only one or two week's pay from being in the same shoes as these people."

Miranda wanted to argue the notion that anyone was good or innocent. Wanted to say, "If you're so close to being in trouble yourself, why are you wasting your money on these people instead of hoarding it?" She held her tongue, knowing she needed these two around for protection. Instead she said, "What are we waiting for then? Let's go in."

As they entered the building, Miranda noticed a wooden box, secured with a padlock. A slot was located on the box top, and a couple people slid envelopes into it. "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, that's the donations box. People put in money to support the shelter. It'll be picked up by the armored car service and taken to the bank tomorrow. There's a lot in there after this last week." Alchemy answered.

Will was walking through the park, hand in hand with Matt, when her cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh hi Mom. Is everything okay? Blunk! He says what? Okay, hang on a sec." She looked at Matt. "Trouble. Blunk just showed up at home. He says Miranda's escaped again."

"Great. More spidery badness."

Will chuckled. "Head for my place. I'm gonna teletransit there if I can." Will turned her attention back to the phone. "Mom? Is anyone there besides you and Blunk? Just Dean? Okay, stay clear of the kitchen, I'll be right there." she hung up. Looked around, saw no one else in sight, and vanished into thin air.

"Stay clear of the kitchen?" Susan said. "What does that mean?" Moments later, there was a sudden rush of air, and a popping sound. Will walked out of the kitchen. Susan stared at her. "Teleportation?"

"Look at it this way, I'll never again bother you for a ride somewhere. Hi Dean. Where's Blunk?"

"Living Room."

In the living room, Will found Blunk going through the storage drawers under the television. He jumped up when he saw her. "Miranda here! Made Blunk fold her to earth!"

"How did you get away from her?" Will asked.

"Strangest thing. Blunk was scared, but not as scared as normal. Miranda threaten Blunk if Blunk didn't open fold, but… somehow… Miranda heart just didn't seem in it. Even tied Blunk up with weaker thread to make sure Blunk could get away."

"Weird." Will agreed. "Okay Blunk, I need you to fold to Meridian and find Vathic. Get a pair of stasis-cuffs from him and bring them back to me here. I'll have the other Guardians assembled by then."

"Blunk be right back." He opened a fold and jumped through.

As the fold closed, Dean asked, "Stasis-cuffs?"

"They're like handcuffs, but with an enchantment on them that neutralizes whatever special powers or magical abilities the wearer has. Shapeshifting, in Miranda's case." Will explained. She then opened her mind to Taranee's telepathic link and filled in the other Guardians.

Miranda was working in a line with Martin on one side and Alchemy on the other. They were serving food to a seemingly never-ending line of people. As they worked, Martin, Alchemy and the other volunteers talked and joked. Once or twice, she even laughed at the jokes herself. This surprised her the first time, as she hadn't actually laughed in, well, she couldn't remember when. All in all, this wasn't as bad an experience as she had feared it would be. In fact, though she was loath to admit it, Miranda was actually somehow enjoying this.

Then she looked up and saw a familiar face. One of the police officers she had lied to about Elyon when she was playing the role of 'Melinda.' He was helping a shelter worker move the donations box into an office. "Probably counting it before it's taken to the bank tomorrow." she thought. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have seen her.


	24. Episode Five Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Five "Damascus Road, Part One" Chapter Three

Meridian, six months ago. Following Phobos' orders, Miranda was playing the role of a friend for Princess Elyon. The girl unnerved her in some way she had trouble putting a finger on. It was almost as if Elyon really was exactly the kind of person Miranda was so certain didn't exist.

It had to be an act, just like everyone who acted good or innocent was just acting to fool those around them. Yet she had to admit this Elyon was the best actress she had ever met. Even Miranda herself was _almost_ convinced by her. She even told Elyon a part of the truth about what had happened to her family, and she hadn't talked about that in almost ten years!

"Stay focused." Miranda told herself. "It's all an act. Soon Phobos will have what he wants and Elyon will be no more, no matter how convincing she is." But somewhere, deep down inside, she wondered…

Tom Lair sat in the shelter office as the staff counted out the donated money. He was certain he had seen the girl who had called herself Melinda in the serving line out front. Of course, he now knew her name was really Miranda, and she was from Meridian. "Should I call Irma?" he wondered. "No. Not yet. I'd better make sure that's who I saw first. No sense bringing the girls out on a wild goose chase."

Half an hour after Will had sent Blunk to find Vathic, all the Guardians, plus Matt and Caleb were gathered in the Vandom's living room. "Why would she just let Blunk go?" Cornelia wondered.

Caleb said, "Good question. Coming to earth, even if she had no plans for revenge, makes good tactical sense. It got the prison guards off her trail. But letting Blunk go ruins that, since he was certain to come let you girls know. Miranda's usually more careful than that."

"This could be a convoluted way of luring us into a trap." Taranee said.

"No, I don't think so." Elyon replied. "There's some aspect, some angle to this we're not seeing."

"I have an idea!" Hay Lin said excitedly. "Queen Neera is supposed to be some giant spider-being, right? And Miranda turns into a spider. Maybe they're in cahoots!"

"No. That doesn't work. For one thing, Neera's had no chance to contact Miranda. And besides, Miranda isn't really a spider. That might be her preferred combat form, but she can turn into any animal she wants, and shapeshifters are actually human in form when they're not purposely being animals." Caleb answered.

"Maybe she was telling Blunk the truth. Maybe she just wants to be left alone. It would explain why she didn't hurt Blunk. Maybe she hopes that if she didn't hurt him, we'd have less reason to make coming after her a priority." Will said.

Matt said, "That makes more sense than any other theory so far. But I wonder why she didn't free Cedric. You'd think the lovebirds would've stayed close."

"No." Caleb said. "Vathic told me a couple weeks ago they had some kind of falling out in their cells. He wasn't sure what caused it."

Dean looked up from the table he was sitting at. "You mind if I ask a question?"

"Go ahead."

"How are you planning to track her down in a city this size?"

Will answered, "I'm not sure. Blunk could track her by scent, but we'd have to take him out in public to do that. I guess we're just hoping something turns up."

Miranda had an odd feeling in her mind. Somewhere inside her a suspicion was forming, one she couldn't quite place. Something new and unsettling was pending within her. Doing her best to ignore it, she continued to work with Martin, now cleaning the kitchen following the meal.

While she worked on a large pot, the office doors opened and the shelter's staff, along with the policeman she had seen earlier, came out. "Excuse me everyone! I have an announcement!" the director shouted. "This week's funds drive has been a bigger success than we ever dreamed! We've collected over thirty-five thousand dollars in donations!" The volunteer staff cheered loudly.

"They probably hoard most of it for themselves." Miranda thought.

Then Martin came over and said he would finish the scrubbing if she could go downstairs and help Alchemy with preparing the shelter's rooms for the night's guests. "It's down the stairs and to the left at the first junction. You can't miss it." he said.

Downstairs, following Martin's directions, Miranda turned the last corner and found the quarters those who lived at the shelter called home. She saw humans of all ages and types huddled together. A young mother fed a baby. Three elderly men worked together to repair a damaged cot. A middle aged man led a small group in a study of some kind. Everywhere Miranda looked as she walked through the room, she saw people with nothing to gain helping each other freely. She stopped in place and began to shudder as the pending realization struck her full force…

Varthan. Aljax and Garix worked together to find the best way of revealing the truth about Irma Lair to Martin Tubbs. "We need some opportunity to attack bystanders, people the Guardians don't know, and are therefore open targets, while they are both there as well." Garix said. "Then the Guardians will have no choice but to defend the innocents, and our target will see."

Aljax agreed. "Yes my prince. But this is risky. Such a plan requires Martin to be in the midst of an attack, and should you or any of your soldiers harm him in the course of the attack before he sees…"

"Then the repercussions would be immediate and probably fatal to us all. I know. It is a risk we must take. My mother the Queen has decreed that the results of this project are vital to Varthan's continued existence as a major power in the infinite worlds. I will not let her down."

"Nor will I, my prince. Are you certain you will sense when Martin becomes a valid target?"

"Yes. The moment he know the truth, I will feel that he knows the truth. And then he will be ours, at least until the Guardians rescue him or, better yet, get him killed trying to rescue him."

Two hours after he had left, Blunk returned via a fold and handed Will a pair of stasis-cuffs. "Perfect," she said, "now we've just got to get them on her."

"Gotta find her first." Cornelia reminded her.

"Want Blunk track Miranda? Only a few hours old trail. Blunk could follow easily, as long as she not get into earth vehicle, or cross water."

"Thanks, but you'd have to go out in big public crowds. Even wearing a disguise, you'd be too exposed." Hay Lin told him.

As everyone sat, trying to think of a plan to go forward, Irma's cell phone rang.

The technical term is 'epiphany.' The sudden, full-on realization and acceptance of a truth formerly unknown or rejected. Standing in the middle of the Lighthouse Shelter's common room, Miranda was experiencing one for the first time in her life. "Everything I've believed my entire life is wrong." she thought. "There really are good people, innocent people, in the world. This place is full of them. They've got nothing, but they give. The volunteers stand to gain nothing, but they come anyway."

Still shaking, she thought back over her life. Phobos and Cedric had lied to her. Lied, or else were such fools they actually believed what they taught. Probably the latter. Not that she could talk, she had been as big a fool as they were. She had believed them.

Unbidden, memories of her youngest days, before the death of her family, rushed into mind. Happiness and security with a loving mother, father, and brothers. Then the Hillborne came. They took it all from her. She wished they had taken her too.

And now, hard on the heels of the first epiphany, a second one: If good and innocent people did exist, then surely at least some, maybe even most, of the people _she_ had hurt had not deserved it. Just as her family hadn't deserved what the Hillborne had did to them.

Miranda shook harder. Barely kept on her feet. A thin, quiet cry escaped her. "I've become what I hated the most." she thought. "I've hurt innocent people, people who never would have harmed me, never would have turned against me. I've done to who knows how many people the same thing the Hillborne did to me." She spoke, barely a whisper, "What have I done? God help me, what have I done?"


	25. Episode Five Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Five: "Damascus Road, Part One" Chapter Four

Meridian, two weeks ago. Sitting in her cell, with plenty of time to think, Miranda had concluded that she was tired of conflict. The world could fall apart for all she cared. All she wanted was to be left alone in her own little isolated corner, maybe somewhere in the deep woods. She looked into the next cell, where Cedric was sitting in his human form. "I know he doesn't really care. But he's all I've got. I don't want to do this completely alone." she thought.

She walked to the side of her cell nearest Cedric's and got his attention. Told him what she was thinking. "Are you insane?" he asked, "We can't back down! We'll have nothing then. My destiny is to rule over worlds, not hide in some backwoods shanty!"

"But Cedric, I'm not sure we'll ever rule over anything! The Guardians are too powerful, they've beaten us over and over. Maybe it's time to take what we can get and be content."

"What do you mean 'we?" Cedric shouted back. "You little fool. Did you ever really think I would share any power with you? Any of my authority? Have you forgotten what Phobos and I taught you? Everyone for themselves. You, little shapeshifter, were useful to me. Nothing more." He turned his back, and that was the last they spoke to each other. But Miranda still intended to find her own place to be alone.

Earth, present day. Irma answered her cell phone on the third ring. "Hello? Oh hi dad, what's up? What? Are you sure? Okay, we'll be right there, thanks pops." Hanging up, she turned to the others. "There's that lead we were hoping for. Miranda's at the Lighthouse Shelter with Martin and Alchemy."

"What? What's she doing there?" Cornelia asked.

"Believe it or not serving food and scrubbing pots, according to dad."

"She's using Martin and Alchemy as shields." Taranee said. "She knows we can't grab her with them around. Now what do we do?"

"Wait her out, if needed." Will said. "She can't stay close to them forever." Will held up the Heart. "Guardians Unite!"

Standing in the common room, shaking like a leaf, Miranda suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Heard a voice asking, "Miranda? Are you okay?" She looked and saw Alchemy standing next to her.

"She's actually concerned about me." Miranda thought. "It's too bad. I think I could've had a friend in this person. Martin too, maybe." She spoke, "Alchemy, is there some place we can talk? I need to tell you something."

"Sure, right over here." Alchemy led Miranda to a set of benches built into a side wall. They sat in an empty section. "You were really out of it there." Alchemy said. "What's wrong?"

Miranda took a deep breath and began, "I wasn't entirely honest with you. It's true that I'm new in town, new in the country. But I'm not a tourist, or an immigrant. I'm a fugitive. Back home, I've spent most of my life doing really bad things to innocent people. I was in jail. Busted out, came running here."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Alchemy asked.

"I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses. But, when I was hurting those people I didn't understand they were innocent. I was raised to think good and innocent were lies, that everyone was out for themselves alone. Being here, seeing this place and these people, it's showed me how wrong I was."

Alchemy smiled. "I'm glad we were able to help you then. So, what are you going to do now? Keep running?"

"No. There's only one right thing to do. I _belong _in prison for the things I've done. I'm gonna turn myself in." Alchemy stared at her in surprise. Miranda continued, "The reason I'm telling you all of this, besides coming clean to someone, is I need to contact the people who'll be looking for me. Do you have a phone I can use?"

Alchemy handed Miranda her cell phone. "I'll give you some space to do this. I'll be in the next room when you're done." She smiled and left.

Miranda looked at the phone. "It can't be too hard to work one of these things." she thought. "I just hope what I suspect is true. She's Elyon's friend, so I should be able to find… Let's see… Menu… Directory… Here we go." She highlighted a number in the directory and pushed call.

Unbeknownst to Miranda, she was already under surveillance while talking to Alchemy. An invisible Hay Lin stood next to her, watching, listening, and telepathically sending what she saw and heard to the other Guardians who were waiting on the rooftop. As Miranda worked with Alchemy's phone, Cornelia said, "A phone? Who's she gonna call anyway?"

Moments later, Elyon's cell phone rang. Everyone looked at her. Irma said, "You don't suppose…"

Elyon answered her phone. "Hello? Miranda?" she thought, "I better play dumb." Said, "How'd you get this number anyway? Oh, I see. You're not going to hurt her are you? You're gonna _what_? Okay when and where? Okay. We'll be there soon." She hung up.

"She says she's going to turn herself over to us in the back alley behind the shelter, as soon as she can get away from Alchemy." There was a silence for a few moments as no one said anything. They were all thinking about what Miranda had said to Alchemy. Finally, Elyon asked, "Am I a fool?"

Cornelia looked at her friend. "How can you ask that?"

"Because I'm buying this."

Another silence. Then Will said, "If you're a fool, so am I."

Inside, Miranda found Alchemy and returned her phone. "They're on their way. I should go out to meet them now." she said.

"I'll come with you."

Miranda knew she couldn't allow Alchemy to see the Guardians. "No, it's best if I do this alone."

"Are you sure? I really think you could use a friend to lean on for this."

"A friend." Miranda thought. She smiled, actually hugged the girl. "Thank you Alchemy. For everything. But this is something I can only do by myself. Do me a favor and tell Martin goodbye for me, okay?"

"I will. Good luck Miranda." Alchemy turned and walked away. Stopped at the door, turned back and waved.

Miranda needed a few minutes to pull herself together. She was determined to do the right thing here, but it was still scary. She didn't mind being put back in her cell, she just wished Cedric wasn't going to be right next to her. Oh well, nothing to do about that.

Miranda rose from the bench and walked to the front door. She intended to circle around to the back alley and wait for the Guardians there, where there wouldn't be any witnesses. When she got to the back, the Guardians were still not in sight. She did see a large truck parked near the shelter's open back door. Hoping no one would come out the back, she leaned against the wall to wait…


	26. Episode Five Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Five: "Damascus Road, Part One" Chapter Five

Meridian. Two days ago. Everything was ready. As soon as Vathic turned away from the control panel for the cell doors for just a moment, she could make her move. Soon enough, he was distracted by another guard making a report. Miranda pulled the tiny crystal hidden in her pocket out and threw it into the energy bars at the front of the cage. Turned away from his panel, Vathic didn't notice the brief flicker in the controls that would have warned him. All she had to do now was wait.

An hour later, she made her move. She shapeshifted into a spider and leapt through the beams, which were now too weak to do any harm. Seeing this, Cedric also tried to escape his cage, but was thrown back upon contact with the bars. Only Miranda's cage was affected.

A group of four guards ran at her, swords held high. She quickly immobilized them with webbing. Only Vathic stood in her way now. As he charged, she shot a string of webbing up and climbed it to the roof, where she scurried out beyond the reach of her final captor. Once in the open, she returned to her normal human form and ran as fast as she could towards the passling village. She hoped the one with the Tonga tooth was home. She needed to escape to earth.

Earth, present day. When Hay Lin rejoined them on the roof of the shelter, Elyon said, "I think we should fly around the long way to meet her. Don't let her know we listened in."

"That's a good idea." Will agreed.

Together, they flew onto an arc that would bring them to the alleyway from the northwest. "Miranda will see us coming from this direction!" Taranee shouted.

"That's for the best." Irma replied. "I agree with Will and Elyon. I think she's serious about turning herself in. But either way it's good if she sees us coming. It won't startle her this way."

Waiting in the alley behind the shelter, Miranda stood in the shadow between two lights. She noticed movement in the sky and looked up. Six points of light were approaching from a distance. "The Guardians and Elyon." she thought. Just before she would have moved into the glow from one of the lights, she heard shouting.

"No! Please! You can't take that, hundreds of people are counting on it!"

"Back off or I plug ya! Back off!" A sudden loud cracking sound she didn't recognize. Two men came out the open back door, carrying a large object. As the approached the truck left in the alley, Miranda recognized it.

"The donations box!" she thought. Then she understood. "Those men are robbing the shelter!" As the thieves loaded the box into their truck, three shelter volunteers and the policeman from earlier rushed out the door. One of the thieves pulled his gun and fired three shots at them. Miranda recognized the report as the same sound she heard moments earlier from inside the building.

The good news was, all of the shots missed. The bad news was, it forced the pursuers back into the building, which gave the robbers the opportunity to jump into their vehicle and speed away.

Miranda looked back into the sky. The Guardians were close now, but the truck would be long gone before they arrived and understood what had happened. She stared at the receding truck. "No. No, I can't let them do this." she whispered. Miranda didn't know exactly how fast these earth vehicles were, though she knew it was faster than anything on Meridian. To give chase, she changed into the fastest animal she knew of, a cheetah.

"She's running!" Hay Lin exclaimed. "Why is she running? I was so sure she was serious about turning herself in!"

"We all were Hay Lin." Will replied. "Maybe she was and got scared. Whatever the answer, we've gotta go after her. Let's bring her in ladies."

Together the Guardians gave chase, but even at their fastest they couldn't quite keep up with Miranda's cheetah speed. None of them noticed the truck she was following.

Frankie and Johnny were ecstatic. They had pulled it off. Thirty five thousand dollars in cash and checks intended for the needy, now redirected to _their_ needs. It had been so easy, though Frankie had to admit he hadn't expected there to be a cop in the joint. No matter, it had all worked out.

Mentally spending his split, Frankie leaned back in his seat and glanced out at the rear view mirror. He couldn't believe what he saw. "Uh, Johnny?"

"Whassup Frankie?"

"Der's a cougar chasin' us."

"What? You been messin' wit dat stuff agains? I've told youse a million times youse gots ta stop before youse messes up your brains."

"I ain't doin' nuttin Johnny! Look out your mirror!"

Johnny looked in his mirror and saw Miranda closing fast. "Youse idiot! Dat's no cougar, dat's a cheetah!" A moment later, Johnny realized what he had said. Did a double take at the mirror. "A cheetah? What da heck?"

Miranda saw she was gaining. She would catch up to them in just a few more seconds. Then, she would pull alongside to the left and jump aboard. Even with their guns, she figured the sight of a roaring, angry cat would spook them into running away. Then the money would be safe and she could still surrender to the Guardians.

"It's comin' around da driver's side!" Johnny said. "Get ready, I'ma swerve over, make cat chow outta dis thing!"

As she pulled up even with the truck, Miranda suddenly saw it swerving straight towards her. At these speeds, she couldn't react fast enough to avoid the attack entirely. She flung herself to the left, missing all but a glancing blow from the truck. Of course, even a glancing blow was enough to send her flying into the wall of the nearest building.

When she struck, it knocked the wind out of her. She involuntarily shifted back to her normal humanoid form. Fell to the ground. Through blurry eyes, she watched the fleeing truck receding from her sight. She had failed. For the first time in ten years, tears filled her eyes…


	27. Episode Six Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Six: "Damascus Road, Part Two" Chapter One

When the Guardians caught up with Miranda, she had returned to her human form. She was down on her hands and knees, head bowed. Clearly she had taken a blow of some kind and was roughed up. She was shaking. They landed near her in a half-circle. As they approached, intent on securing the stasis-cuffs, Cornelia noticed something she would never have expected. "Is she… …crying?" the blonde asked.

Hay Lin took a risk, walked up right next to Miranda. Knelt down. "Miranda?"

Without looking up, the girl motioned towards a distant truck. "They stole the shelter's donations. I thought… I thought that maybe I could…." Miranda's voice broke. After a moment she continued. "I thought that maybe, just once before I went back to prison… Just once I wanted to do the _right_ thing. But I wasn't strong enough. They got away."

Eyes still closed, Miranda stood and held out her hands for the stasis-cuffs. She was surprised to feel, not the cold metal of the cuffs, but something soft and warm. Looking up, Miranda saw Elyon holding her hands. Her smile was the warmest thing Miranda had ever seen. "C'mon," Elyon said, "Let's go get that money back."

"Johnny did youse see dat? Dat puma turned into a girl when it hit da wall!" Johnny shouted. "A girl, looked like a teenager! What's goin' on around heres?"

"Calm down Frankie. Youse seein tings agains." Johnny said. He wasn't about to admit he had seen it happen too. "And it weren't no Puma, it's was a cheetah.'

"Puma, cheetah, cougar, whose cares? It weren't normal!"

"Youse gots dat right Frankie." Johnny thought, but said nothing. Focused on driving, he turned right onto a side street that would lead to their neighborhood.

Miranda changed into a large bird and flew high into the sky, looking down with a hawk's vision trying to locate the truck. The Guardians flew next to her. Staring down, she caught sight of it racing through an intersection. "There!" she shouted. "West, half a mile, headed to the south."

Together, they all flew towards the spot Miranda had seen the truck. When they arrived, they looked to the south and saw the truck continuing south. They followed.

"How could anyone rob a homeless shelter?" Irma asked, "It's the lowest of the low. What slime."

"I should warn you they were armed." Miranda said. "Some kind of earth weapon we don't have on Meridian. I don't know how powerful those things are, but when one of the thieves pointed it at the people chasing him, they turned and ran back inside. Then he used it, and there were three loud banging noises."

"Guns." Irma said. "How big were they?"

"Not big. He was able to use it with one hand."

Cornelia said, "I'm not worried about guns. That's what telekinetic force fields are for. I'll deflect anything they shoot at us."

"You all realize that this means people here on earth are gonna see us as Guardians, right?" Taranee asked.

"They don't know us personally." Will said. "And we look older as Guardians anyway. They'll never I.D. us in human form.

"I hope you're right." Elyon said. "But we've got no choice. We can't let them get away with this." Together, they followed the truck's trail, descending toward it.

Theresa Cook decided to take a break from her work. She leaned back in her chair, turned from the computer, and walked to the kitchen to get something to drink. As she passed the den, she saw Lionel watching television alone. Peter wasn't in sight. "Probably out with that Cassidy girl again." she thought.

The more Theresa thought about things, the more certain she became that something unusual was going on. First there was Taranee. The girl was still maintaining her 4.0 GPA, but she was always distracted and disappeared with alarming regularity. Some of it had to be Nigel. She remembered when she was Taranee's age, and had a hard time blaming her daughter for that part of it. But there was something more as well.

Also not-quite-right was Peter's new girlfriend. Cassidy seemed nice enough, and was unfailingly polite and respectful, aside from a sense of humor that was annoyingly similar to Irma Lair's. And Peter wasn't disappearing all the time or getting in trouble. But somehow, Cassidy just seemed off. She was awfully mature for someone so young, and frequently lapsed into slang and mannerisms that were outdated even when Theresa was a teenager.

"I've got to get to the bottom of this." she thought. "For the kid's own good, I've got to find out what this is all about."

On edge, Johnny continued to drive southward. He had felt safe on the main roads, but now they were driving along a industrial service way with no other traffic. He tensed at each movement he saw, expecting that weird cat to jump at him from an alley or out of a building.

Next to him, Frankie could tell Johnny was tense. "He cans lie all hes wants." Frankie thought, "He saws it too." Frankie glanced out his window, saw nothing. Looked into the mirror. "Aw, no. Not again."

"Not agains what Frankie?" Johnny asked, "Whassup now?"

"We gots fairies Johnny."

"We gots WHAT?" Johnny looked in his own mirror. Saw what Frankie saw. "Oh, youse gots ta be _kiddin_ me!"

Working together, Miranda and the Guardians swept down from above and fell into pursuit just behind the fleeing truck. Miranda shifted from the bird into a cheetah again, dropped to the ground, and ran.

"There's no where for them to go." Will said. "This road's too bad for them to go faster, and there's no way off of it for a truck this big."

"Let's bag some burglars" Taranee said. "Fire!" Taranee shot a stream of flame at the truck's rear left wheel, which exploded. The truck ground to a halt, as the Guardians landed behind it.

Miranda shifted back to human. "We just want the money back." she said. "No sense scaring them any worse."

Elyon stepped forward. "C'mon out! There's nowhere to go!"


	28. Episode Six Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Six: "Damascus Road, Part Two" Chapter Two

Johnny and Frankie sat in their now disabled truck, terrified. "What's wes gonna do Johnny?" Frankie asked. "They gots us trapped heres!"

"I'll think uh somethin Frankie. Don'ts I always?"

"Youse nevah seen nuttin' likes this! Hey, you suppose we's safe ins here? Dey can't comes in after us withouts an invite rights?"

"Dat's vampires youse moron! Now let's me tink a minute…"

Outside, the Guardians and Miranda waited for the thieves to surrender. It was starting to look like it would be a long wait. After several minutes, Taranee said, "We can't wait them out forever. Someone will come along this road sooner or later."

"Probably sooner." Irma said, "My dad as supposed to be at the shelter for the security on this money. You can bet the cops are out searching for them right now."

Miranda looked at Irma. "Your father was the policeman I saw at the shelter?"

"Yeah. I thought you knew, You pulled the whole 'Melinda' thing on him awhile back after all."

"No. I just knew he was police. I didn't know the connection."

Cornelia said, "If the police are looking, can't we just leave them here? The truck's down for the count and the box has gotta be too heavy for them to carry very far. We could call in a tip on where to find them."

"Irma, Corny's half right. You should call your dad. But we can't just leave."

While Irma dialed her father, Miranda looked at Cornelia. "They call you 'Corny'"?

"Don't you even start."

"Okay Frankie, I gots a plan. We tells them we's gonna surrender. Den when der guard's downs, we run fors it."

"But what's about da money Johnny?"

"Fergit da money! Tink Frankie, we dunno what deese tings cans do. Is dat moneys worth havin' youse soul ripped outs or something?"

Frankie turned pale. "Dey cans do dat?"

"How shoulds I know? Dats da point. Now shuts up while I talks at dem." Johnny rolled down his window half an inch. "Hey! We's willin ta gives ourselves up! Just promise you won'ts hurt us!"

An answer came back, from the girl Johnny had seen the cat turn into, "All we want is the money given back to the shelter."

"Dat's it Frankie. Gets out nice and slow, and when I gives the signal, runs like da French…."

"Sounds like they're going to give up." Hay Lin said.

"Be careful. They're planning something." Miranda replied.

"How can you be sure?"

"I was the 'bad guy' for a long time." Miranda answered. "I know how the type thinks. These two, they're dumb, but they think they're geniuses. That means at least one of them has concocted some kind of hair-brained escape plan. Be ready for it."

"She's right." Taranee said. "That analysis makes perfect sense."

Ahead, the doors of the truck opened, and a man emerged from each. They warily walked back toward the Guardians. But just as they passed the rear bumper, one of them shouted "Runs for it Frankie!" They both took off in opposite directions. The one who had shouted vaulted over a concrete berm and headed for a abandoned factory building. The other ran wild into the street, screaming as he went.

"_That's_ the plan they thought was ingenious?" Irma asked, "Run for it?"

"Told you they weren't too bright." Miranda replied.

Frankie was the first to be caught. His mad, unplanned dash into the street made him easy to pick off. Cornelia simply ensnared him in a tangle of thick vines that wrapped around his feet and legs and bought him down. He didn't even make it a hundred feet. He looked up as Cornelia and the others stood over him. Superstitious fear marked his face. "DON'T EAT ME!" he exclaimed.

Will looked at Miranda. "Wow. Imagine how scared he'd be if she had stayed in the cheetah form."

Everyone else looked at Miranda, expecting her to shift into something fearsome and terrorize the man. She instead turned and walked away. "C'mon, we still have one more to stop."

"You're not gonna torment him?" Irma asked.

Miranda looked down for a moment. "I don't want to do that anymore."

Just then, they all heard the sounds of approaching sirens. "That'll be Irma's dad, with back-up." Elyon said. "We better find the guy, tie him up, and get out of here quick."

Cornelia looked at the abandoned factory Johnny had fled into. It was huge. "Good luck with quick. It'll take forever to track him down in there. If we had Blunk's nose, maybe we could do it fast enough, but I think we just need to go before the cops get here. At least we saved the cash, and Frankie over there can tell them who his partner was."

"Don't worry about tracking." Miranda answered. "My nose is as good as the passling's, and I don't need to smell over my own odor either. I'll get us right to him."

Following Miranda's lead, they entered the building. She took one good sniff and ran along a course she was certain of. In moments, they found Johnny backed into a corner. He pulled his gun and fired wildly, but Cornelia was able to protect everyone with a telekinetic shield. Ammo expended, Johnny threw the gun, which missed widely.

"Guess the movies got that one right. The crooks really are dumb enough to throw the gun when it's out of bullets." Irma said.

Elyon answered, "Do you suppose that's ever even once worked?"

"I doubt it."

"How are we gonna tie him up? We're too deep inside here for vines to reach." Taranee said.

Will replied, "I got this. Quintessence!" A charge of energy surged from Will's hand into the dormant machinery, which moved, grabbing Johnny and holding him tightly. He fainted "That'll do. Irma, I think you'll have to tell your dad where to find this guy though. Don't want them overlooking him this far into the building."

Soon after, Johnny came to in the back of a police cruiser. He looked out the window and saw four officers carrying Frankie, who was still tangled in the vines. "How'd he manage to do this to himself?" one of them wondered. They shoved Frankie, vines and all, into the back of a police wagon.

Johnny turned as a policeman opened the driver's door and sat behind the wheel. "Hey cop, youse gots ta listen ta me!" he pleaded, "Weird tings been goins on around heres! Creepy cat-people and winged fairies with magic powers! Dat's whats caught us! Youse gots ta believe me!"

Seated behind the wheel, Tom Lair grinned and said nothing. "Way to go Irma." he thought to himself, "Way to go…"


	29. Episode Six Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Six: "Damascus Road, Part Two" Chapter Three

Half a mile from the place where Johnny and Frankie were captured, Will used the heart to return the Guardians to normal, while Elyon opened a fold back to Meridian. The Queen motioned to the fold and said to Miranda, "After you."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Miranda asked. She held out her hands for the stasis-cuffs.

Will held the cuffs for a moment. Glanced at Elyon and could tell her intentions from the look in her eyes, no telepathy required. She tossed the cuffs aside. "I don't think that's necessary. They're only to keep someone from running, and if you intended to do that you would have by now." Together, they returned to Meridian.

Theresa Cook peeked into Taranee's room and saw her daughter still wasn't home. "Where in the world is she? It's almost curfew, she never used to miss it like this." Sounds from downstairs drew her attention. "Maybe that's her." she thought. But when she reached the bottom of the stairs she found, not Taranee, but Peter and Cassidy.

"Have either one of you seen Taranee?" she asked them.

"Not me." Peter answered. "Is she still not home? That's not like her."

"No it isn't." Theresa agreed. An idea came to her. Maybe she could get to the bottom of some of her concerns. "Cassidy, can I have a word with you?"

"Sure." Cassidy and Peter both moved towards Theresa's office, but she stopped her son.

"Not you. Just her."

Meridian. Miranda had thanked the Guardians for helping, and for giving her a chance to do something right, before they returned to earth. She accompanied Elyon, remaining quiet until she realized they weren't going where she expected. "This isn't the way to the prison."

"No. It's the way to the palace."

"But… Why? We both know the prison is where I belong, what I deserve."

"Yeah, well, life isn't fair. We don't always get what we deserve." Elyon said cryptically. Miranda wondered what the Queen meant by that, but said nothing.

Soon, they were standing at the door to Miranda's old room in the palace. A pair of guards flanked it. "I really don't think the guards are needed," Elyon told her, "but the regents would have a fit if they weren't here. You'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow afternoon, after school, I'll have you bought to the throne room for a hearing."

Miranda didn't know what to make of this. "Queen Elyon, I appreciate this, but there's a cell waiting for me…"

"First, it's just Elyon. I prefer it that way except in official functions. Second, why are you so fired up to go back to that cell? Do you _want_ to be in jail?"

"Of course not. But I accept it's what I've got coming to me."

"Ah. Well even if I did intent to put you back, it's not ready yet. Whatever you did to the energy bars still isn't fixed."

"Tell them it was a Targin Crystal. They'll know how to fix it then."

"I'll let them know. Now get some sleep. Tomorrow's an important day." Elyon smiled and walked away. After the guards closed the door and bolted it, Miranda turned and looked about her room. She never thought she'd see it again, and was shocked to find all of her possessions still here, just as she had left them. She slipped into a comfortable nightgown and settled into her own bed…

Theresa motioned towards her office guest chair. Cassidy sat. "So, tell me about yourself." Theresa said.

"There's not much to tell. I'm eighteen, same as Peter. Lived my whole life in Heatherfield. I want to be a doctor, if I can find the funds for that much college."

"How did you meet Peter?"

"We met at the Silver Dragon. My Mother and Yan Lin are friends. She introduced us."

"Yan Lin. There's a connection to Taranee." Theresa thought. She said, "How well do you know my daughter and her friends?"

"Not well." Cassidy lied. She knew instantly that lying had been a mistake. Theresa was a federal judge. Lying to her was like trying to lie to a polygraph with truth serum in your system. "Now I've had it." she thought. But oddly, Theresa didn't push the issue. She let Cassidy go. The girl said goodnight to Peter and got out before Theresa could change her mind.

Alone in her office, Theresa thought to herself "Whatever is going on with Taranee, that girl knows about it."

In Meridian, Elyon had assembled the regents, who ran the kingdom in her absence and attended to issues to small to bring to her direct attention. Vathic was also present. As she had known would happen, a general storm of protest flared up when she told them her plans for Miranda. Of course, she was the Queen, and could force the issue, but she respected these people and didn't want to fight with them.

The discussion, heated at times, continued for two hours before a consensus was reached. The regents had conditions, but would go along with Elyon's plan if Miranda could convince them of what Elyon already believed. "Be in the throne room tomorrow at four in the afternoon." she said, "We'll take care of this then."

The Vandom residence. Susan was half asleep in the arms of a fully asleep Dean. They were still sitting on the living room couch. She heard a sound she recognized from earlier in the day. "Will is that you?"

Will walked in, can of soda in her hand. She plopped down in the recliner. "Hi mom. I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"Almost. Did everything go alright? Is this Miranda back in jail?"

"Not exactly back in jail, but everything went great. Miranda's back in Meridian, and we stopped a pair of robbers from ripping off the homeless shelter." Will stood back up, walked to the couch, and kissed Susan on the forehead. "I'll tell you all about it in the morning over breakfast. Right now, I'm exhausted. G'night mom."


	30. Episode Six Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Six: "Damascus Road, Part Two" Chapter Four

Meridian. Miranda entered the throne room flanked by a pair of guards. Elyon was already present, seated in her throne but still dressed in her earth clothing. To the Queen's right stood the Guardians in their human forms and a slightly older brunette Miranda didn't recognize. To the left were the kingdom regents, including Elyon's adoptive parents, and Vathic.

Elyon noticed the stasis-cuffs the guards had placed on Miranda when they escorted her out of her room. She seemed livid. "Take those off of her." she ordered.

The first guard replied, "Your majesty, we only thought-"

"Remove. Them. Now." Elyon ordered, her tone of voice making it clear to all present that this wasn't a suggestion. The guards removed the cuffs. Miranda rubbed the discomfort out of her wrists.

Elyon looked at her and said "Miranda, you said last night that you 'belong in jail.' And technically, you are correct. That is certainly the punishment appropriate for your past crimes. However, I cannot in good conscience send you back to your cell when it's clear to me that you've changed. The person you were is not the person you are, and the person you are needs a chance to grow and make penance, rather than rot in a prison cell."

Miranda was confused. Elyon had been confusing her a lot in this last day. "I like the sound of that, but surely you can't just let me go. So what other option is there?"

"I'm getting to that. But first, though I could simply make this an order, I want the regents onboard with my plan. What I want you to do, Miranda, is tell them just what happened to you yesterday in your own words. What did you experience, how did you feel, and why?"

"Your majesty… I can't really make it understandable without also explaining why I felt the way I did before. And I'm afraid that will sound like I'm trying to make excuses for my past behavior, which I don't want to do…"

Elyon smiled. "Don't worry. I hereby order everyone present to treat Miranda's story as an explanation, not an excuse." She looked back to Miranda. "Go ahead." Miranda took a long deep breath, and began…

Susan was at work, preparing files for an upcoming business deal, when her phone rang. "Susan Vandom," she answered, "How may I help you?"

"Hello, this is the mother of Will Vandom, correct?"

"Yes, that's me. Is something wrong?"

"I don't remember if we've been introduced Mrs. Vandom. This is Theresa Cook, Taranee's mother. Do you have a moment to talk?"

"You're right, we've not met, though Will pointed you out to me at a school function a few months ago. What can I do for you Mrs. Cook?"

"Have you noticed any unusual behavior in Will? I only ask because Taranee just hasn't acted like her old self in a long time, and I'm getting more and more concerned." Alarm bells began going off in Susan's head…

In Meridian, Miranda told her entire story to the assembled kingdom regents and the Guardians. The loss of her family. Being raised by Phobos and Cedric. The lessons they had drilled into her about survival of the strongest and the meanest. She told them about how she had hardened herself to survive. About how Elyon had spooked her when they first met. The argument with Cedric before her most recent escape.

She told them about fleeing to earth. Martin, Alchemy, and the Lighthouse Shelter. The epiphany as she walked through the crowd. The friendship Alchemy had shown. The robbery, and her reaction to it. How it all ended. Finally she fell silent.

The kingdom regents excused themselves and huddled together for several minutes. Frequently one or more of them glanced back at Miranda. Finally they returned. "Queen Elyon," Miriabelle said, "Our judgment is this: We will support your plan, so long as Miranda agrees to all of the conditions we mentioned to you last night. And, so long as Vathic is also in agreement."

Everyone looked at Vathic. Unspeaking, he walked to Miranda, leaned down, and stared into her eyes for two full minutes. He then returned to his place. "I am not convinced." he said. "However, I am sufficiently _persuaded _to agree to this plan. If the Queen is willing to give her a chance, that's good enough for me."

"Um, what chance?" Miranda asked. "Is anyone going to tell me just what's going on here?"

Elyon rose from her throne and approached. "I will, now." she said. "There's a concept in the legal systems on earth that I've been meaning to introduce here on Meridian. This is as good a test as any. It's called 'Probation.' The way it works is, you're given freedom, within certain limits. You have a certain place you'll have to live, a curfew, educational requirements and so forth. There's also a community service aspect of it, but I'm sure they can always use help at the shelter."

"The shelter? Then I'll be on earth? Where will I live?"

Elyon motioned, and the brunette Miranda didn't recognize stepped forward. "This is Cassidy. She used to be a Guardian, in the past generation, so she knows the ins and outs of our lives. She's agreed to take you in."

"Ten O Clock curfew young lady." Cassidy said, "Unless you're out with me or the Guardians. And no trying to pull anything over on me. I'm older than I look, and I've seen it all."

Elyon continued, "The other terms of the probation are as follows: You've got to attend school, and achieve at least passing grades. And… I'm sorry about this one, but the regents wouldn't back down on it. No shapeshifting, except in life or death emergencies."

Miranda stared at her Queen. "You're serious about this, aren't you? You're really giving me another chance?"

"What are friends for?"

"You can still say friend after I betrayed you to Phobos? Elyon, I…" Miranda turned away, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

"So when do we start?" Cassidy asked.

Alborn answered, "It'll take about a week to get things squared away for her to start at Sheffield. I figure we'll move her into your place over the weekend, and she can start school on Monday."

"Then Monday it is." said Irma. "Now c'mon, somewhere in this place is a snack with my name on it." Everyone laughed, and Miranda found that it was a good feeling after so long in the darkness…


	31. Episode Six Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Six: "Damascus Road, Part Two" Chapter Five

When Will arrived home, Susan told her about the call from Theresa Cook. Will contacted the other Guardians, as well as Matt and Caleb. Everyone arrived soon enough. Tom came with Irma, and Miranda arrived with Elyon. Susan cast a brief, uncertain glance at Miranda but said nothing. Dean Collins was already present. After Susan had told them everything about the call, Irma informed the adults of what was going on with Martin as well.

"I dunno." said Tom. "Martin's case is clearly interference. We need to keep a very close eye on the boy. But Theresa… I suspect that's just normal. Susan, you said she didn't act like anything odd had happened to her to trigger these suspicions?"

"No. I probed as carefully as I could, looking for anything that might mean she was being worked on. I didn't see anything like that."

"But this could still be used against her if it's noticed." Taranee said.

Matt said, "Taranee, you can probably defuse this by simply being more careful for awhile. Don't miss curfew, don't disapear without explanation. If your mom is just having normal parental worries that'll take care of it."

"Good thinking." Caleb agreed. "But how are we going to keep Martin safe?"

Miranda looked at Caleb. "Wait. Are you saying Martin is in danger?"

Will answered, "Oh that's right. You wouldn't know what's been going on. We're having issues with a Queen Neera. She's attacking our friends and-"

Before Will could finish, Miranda said, "Neera? Wow. I think I need to tell you guys something."

Everyone stared at her. "Well, out with it then!" Cornelia said.

"I don't know the details. I was too young at the time to be 'in the loop.' But a few years back, I overheard Phobos and Cedric arguing over a treaty with someone named Neera. Cedric thought Phobos was making a mistake, that she couldn't be trusted at all. Phobos said he didn't trust her, but she would hold up her end long enough to get what he wanted out of it."

Miranda continued, "That was the last I heard, until two months later. I woke up in the middle of the night to terrible sounds of destruction. Phobos was tearing apart everything he could find, in a rage, cursing Neera's name. I hid and went back to sleep, and the next day Phobos acted like nothing had happened. Cedric had a big 'I told you so' smirk on his face for weeks though."

Cornelia looked at Elyon. Sounds like it's time for a little brother/sister chat."

"Joy."

Varthan. One week later. Aljax and Garix stood before the Dark Queen. "I understand the need for patience and caution." she told them, "But it has been over a week since Aljax delivered the note and video to Martin Tubbs. What is the delay?"

Aljax bowed more deeply. "Apologies my Queen. We need to get Martin Tubbs and the Water Guardian together in the same place at the same time, with many innocent people to threaten, so the Guardian will have to take action in front of him."

"And no such opportunity presents itself?"

"We thought we had one Mother." Garix said, "A radio broadcaster's convention in the city. Given their mutual interest it seemed certain they would both attend, perhaps even together. Unfortunately, Martin's father is taking the entire family on a trip that weekend, preventing Martin's attendance."

"Hmmm…" Neera thought to herself, then said, "Remind me, what does Martin Tubb's father do for a living?"

"He is an accident investigator for his country's transportation board, Majesty."

"Then surely a nearby… 'accident'… would prevent this trip and free up some time for Martin to attend the convention?"

Aljax grinned. "Yes, Dark Queen. It certainly would. I'll get started right away."

Sheffield Institute, Monday morning. Miranda stood at the entry gate shouldering the burden of a heavy satchel of books. The sky was bright; clear and sunny, and a warm wind blew softly from the south. Even after a week, she was still in shock that Elyon had been kind enough to do this for her.

She heard a shout. "Miranda? Miranda is that you?" Alchemy and Martin were running towards her. She had worried about this meeting for days. Alchemy knew she had been a fugitive, she admitted it to her. How would she explain her presence here? In the end, Miranda decided to take Will's advice: Just enough truth to satisfy them.

"Hi Alchemy, Martin." she said as they stood in front of her.

"I thought you'd be back in jail or something." Alchemy said.

"So did I. But the Queen, well, she could tell I was serious about changing. So they put me on probation, and sent me here since this is where I found the good influence that helped to change me."

"That's cool!" Alchemy responded, "C'mon we'll show you around."

As they walked in, Martin asked "Queen? Just what country are you from anyway?"

Miranda smiled. "It's very small. You've never heard of it."

As she followed her new friends into the school, Miranda thought to herself, "I wonder if I've got what it takes to do this? I know I want to. And I know I'll have help. But I'm still a little scared. I'm not letting the fear win though. Elyon trusts me, and I will _NOT_ let her down…"

New beginnings are like seeds blow in the wind. They can lodge and take root in the most unexpected of places. Of course, where they take root is also important. A seed in a rock has less chance than one in fertile soil. Miranda was lucky. The location this seed landed might have seemed the least likely of all, but with friends to aid her, the soil was fertile beyond measure. Here she would learn. Here she would grow, and here, she would find her purpose in life…

"_Hope requires the contender,_

_Who sees no virtue in surrender,_

_From the cradle to the bier,_

_The heart must always persevere."_

-from 'The Book of Counted Sorrows'

By Dean Koontz


	32. Episode Seven Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seven: "They Call Me MISTER Tubbs!" Chapter One

Earth. Deep in the Heatherfield sewer system. "Ooh. This is very nice Blunky-boo." Mama said. "What did you make these walls out of?"

"It's called cardboard Mama. Like wood but it weighs less. So, Blunk convince Mama to move in with Blunk? No monsters on earth, much safer."

"No Blunky-boo. Mama's home on Meridian. But Mama will stay to help Blunky-boo decorate. Which way to the trash-dump?" Excited, Blunk eagerly led the way…

Sheffield Institute. Irma was on her way to start the morning radio show. She didn't look forward to having to deal with Uriah, but at least Martin would be where she could keep an eye on his safety. Not that he was in any danger as long as she could keep her life as a Guardian hidden from him. "I might as well go ahead and admit it." she thought to herself. "I'm worried because I really like him."

As she worked through these thoughts, Martin came up from behind and joined her. "Good morning sweet pie!"

"Oh! Morning Martin. How's everything going? And Do NOT mention that stupid movie you've imagined me being in."

"I won't bring it up. Though I know I didn't imagine it. Wish I could figure out where that tape disappeared too. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to ask you about. You're going to the Radio Broadcaster's Convention this weekend, right?"

"Yeah." Irma answered, "I'm sorry you've got to miss it. I kinda think it'll be more oriented towards the technical side of things you do than my on-air job."

Martin said, "That's the good news Honey Doodle! Well, good news for me anyway, I feel bad for those innocent people. But dad can't leave town after all, so I'll be able to go, and I wondered if you'd like to go together? Not a date or anything, just as friends."

"I'd like that." Irma said. Then a thought occurred to her. "Martin, what came up that your dad had to cancel the trip? What innocent people do you 'feel bad' for?"

He handed her his MP3 player, set to fm radio reception. "Listen."

Irma listened to the radio news report. _"Repeating our breaking story from this morning, a passenger train carrying two hundred people crashed and derailed just outside Heatherfield approximately three hours ago. The extent of the damage is still unknown, though early reports say that while most of the passengers were injured, some severely, the death toll was very light. National Transportation Safety Board Investigator Gerald Tubbs is on site, but refused to comment as of yet. There are some unconfirmed reports that the train's engineer may have been intoxicated at the time of the accident. This is based on a transmission from the engineer just prior to the crash, in which he reportedly claimed to be under attack by 'giant maggots and a huge spider-creature'. In other news…"_

Irma handed the player back to Martin. "Isn't that sad?" he asked, "Can you believe an engineer with people's lives in his hands would get drunk and hallucinate monsters?"

Irma's eyes narrowed. "Yeah… unbelievable…." she murmured.

Meridian. The Infinite City. Flanked by Vathic and a team of guards, Queen Elyon approached the cell her brother was incarcerated in. He looked up as she approached. "Ah, my little sister finally sees fit to visit me. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Cut the attitude Phobos." Elyon said. "I need information you have, and you're going to give it to me."

"I am? Or what? You can't really threaten me sister. I know you're soft, you won't torture me or kill me to get your way." He looked at the empty cell across from his. "Why, you've not even managed to recapture someone as minor as dear little Miranda."

"Miranda has been dealt with." Elyon said, trying to be cryptic.

"Really? I doubt that." Phobos turned and walked away from the front of his cell. As far as he was concerned, this conversation was over. He didn't think there was anything Elyon could say or do to inspire his cooperation. He was wrong.

Elyon whispered a single word: "Neera."

Phobos froze in place. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Neera. Queen Neera. I know you've had dealing with her in the past. I want the details of those dealings."

"Where did you get that information? No, never mind it doesn't matter. She's back isn't she? She's back, after you or your precious Guardians, and you want knowledge in the hopes it will help you fight her."

Elyon saw no reason to lie, he'd know anyway. "Yes. And regardless of our feelings towards each other you should be willing to help. You know the old expression, it's the same on earth and Meridian: 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"

"I never really believed that." Phobos said. "The enemy of _my_ enemy is just another enemy. Still it is true there's no love lost between myself and the Dark Queen. Alright, I'll give you one small piece of information. What I was trying to obtain through a treaty with Neera was her transit crystals. Small triangular crystals able to open folds and portals. Her people can mass-produce them."

"And what did you have to offer her in return?"

"Kandrakar of course. She can't go there. Her soldiers either. It's one of the rules she has to follow. She wanted me to take her scanning technology to Kandrakar and bring her back detailed scans of the Guardian's Aura Mirrors."

Elyon was alarmed. "Why did she want that? What could she have done with it?"

"I have no idea. And at any rate, she chose to betray me first. But now this interview is over." Phobos turned away and would say no more.

Later that day, after school, the Guardians and their allies gathered together. Now that Susan knew the truth, they had taken to meeting in Will's apartment. They didn't have to worry about Hay Lin's parents overhearing them that way, and the furnished home was nicer than the basement.

"She was after knowledge about the Aura Mirrors?" Taranee asked. "That's bad any way you slice it."

Matt agreed. "If she had gotten that info, she might have found some weakness to exploit."

"I agree it's bad news." Irma said, "But let's focus on the here and now. Neera's men caused that train wreck to keep Martin from leaving town. Whatever they've got planned it must be coming soon."

"Then we need to keep a close guard over him." Miranda said. "At least one of us, preferably two, should have him in sight at all times."

Caleb agreed. "Yeah, but how do we do it without him knowing?"

"The convention is this weekend." Irma said. "I'll have an excuse to be with him most all day on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of you could blend into the crowds."

Cornelia said, "Irma, don't you think you should try to draw him away from that place? Even I know the odds are good that's where they'll strike."

Will laughed. "Keep the school's biggest techno-geek away from a radio convention? That'll happen when pigs fly. We'll just have to play this one as it lays and hope for the best…"


	33. Episode Seven Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seven: "They Call Me MISTER Tubbs!" Chapter Two

Varthan. Garix stood ready, his soldiers arrayed ten on each side behind him. Aljax stood before them. "Good luck, my prince." he said. "May the glory of Varthan ride with you. Hail Neera, Queen of Darkness!"

Garix and his soldiers returned the salute. As Aljax walked away towards the palace, Garix turned to his men. "Remember, it is absolutely essential that Martin Tubbs not be harmed until I give the word. If any of you so much as lay a finger on him prior to his enlightenment, it could spell doom for us all." The soldiers eyed each other warily.

As Garix turned away, he noticed something odd. A new attachment on the weapons of each soldier. "Some kind of new enhancement probably." he thought. "When we get back I must have a word with Aljax about not keeping me informed about these kinds of things." He raised a transit crystal and opened a fold to earth.

Early Saturday morning Martin and Irma met near her home to walk together to the convention center. He handed her a foam cup. "Mocha Cappuccino, just the way you like it." he said.

"Wow. Thanks." Irma sipped the hot drink as she tried to decide how to broach the subject of an actual date. She had been so mean to him in the past she was afraid opening up now would be misconstrued as a cruel joke. She chickened out. "So, I finally saw the list of guest speakers last night. Can you believe how many big names they got?"

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing. But the thing that gets me excited is _this." _He held up a picture of an expensive new control board. "Can you imagine what we could do with this thing in the studio? It's too bad Nicklebocker will never agree to pay for one."

Irma looked at the paper. "This is impressive. Are they gonna have one at the show?"

"You know it. It's what they're gonna be using for the in-convention broadcasts. Hey, you think maybe we'll be able to get a first-hand look?"

Irma smiled at Martin's enthusiasm. "I hope they let you use it."

"Thanks." Together they walked on, planning their agenda for the day.

Unknown to Martin, he and Irma were being paralleled one street over in both directions. Will, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Matt were on one side. Cornelia, Elyon, Miranda, and Caleb were on the other. Taranee though to the other Guardians, "You know we've got eight people to keep Martin in sight, besides Irma. Eight people to keep hidden from him. He probably won't think much of seeing one or two of us. But he's gonna start wondering what's going on if he sees too many of us."

"Good point." Elyon answered back. "But what other choice do we have?"

"I wish I knew." Taranee admitted.

The two groups met up outside the entrance shortly after Irma and Martin had entered. They went in together, then broke off alone to scatter through the crowd.

Garix's men were disguised as ordinary humans in business suits. Even Garix himself had use a small portion of his mother's magic to become human in form. Together they walked the convention floor, weapons secreted away in briefcases, pretending to be interested in the latest technologies.

"We can't attack until we know the Guardian and the boy are here." he thought. "But I never anticipated how many humans would crowd into this place. How can we manage to confirm their arrival?"

With Irma's help, Martin had found his awesome control board. He was almost frozen in amazement, especially when the technician told him to roll up a chair and pitch in for a few minutes. "Irma, do you mind if I?"

"Go for it." she replied. As Martin dove into the offered chair, Irma took a step back and used the time to contact the other girls. "Anything off yet?" she asked.

"Just some of these prices." Taranee answered. "This stuff's good but it's not worth what they're asking."

"Tell me about it." Will thought. "Matt found some nice stuff his band could've used, then turned white as a ghost when he saw the sticker price."

Irma screamed into the telepathic link, "Will you guys stop shopping for bargains! We're here to save a life not blow our savings accounts!" Several sheepish "sorry's" came back to her.

Meanwhile, Miranda was wandering about on her own when a scent caught her attention. "It can't be." she thought. Weaving through the crowds, she followed her nose until she caught sight of the source of the odor. A large group of identically dressed men carrying large briefcases. At this range there was no mistaking the scent. She grabbed the cell phone Cassidy had bought her and dialed Elyon. The Queen answered on the third ring. "It's Miranda. They're here."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely positive. The non-human smell is overpowering, and besides that even if I couldn't smell any better than you I'd still have known the second I set eyes on them. Their disguises are paper thin."

"Where are you? Are you in any danger?"

"I'm near the north wall, tailing them. And I'm safe so far, they don't know I'm here."

"Okay, stay with them. We'll be right there."

Elyon hung up and told the Guardians what Miranda had said. "Now what?" Irma asked.

"We go with the plan." Will answered. "Irma, lead Martin through that empty side hall. Miranda and Caleb will distract him there while you ditch him and join us. Matt puts up a glamour zone to keep people outside from seeing, then we confront them."

Irma said to Martin, "C'mon, I gotta find someplace to sit down for a minute."

"Okay sugar sweetness. I think there's some tables at the end of that empty hallway. Let's go."

On the way to the hall, Irma became aware of a large group of men following them at a distance. "They noticed us." she thought. "Perfect, now we'll be able to confront them in the tunnel, away from other people, once I get rid of Martin."

Right on schedule, Miranda and Caleb showed up, 'just happening' to be walking by. "Whoa! What are you guys doing here?" Martin asked.

Caleb said to him, "Nothing better goin' on in town. Thought we'd check it out."

"Martin, I've got to, uh… visit the ladies' room. Why don't you go with them. I'll catch up." Irma said. She was relieved when he went without an fight. Alone, she quickly found the other Guardians. They stood midway down the empty tunnel, waiting.

The wait was short. Less than a minute later, Neera's men arrived. Miranda had been right, their disguises were ridiculously thin. A small, narrow, absurdly gawky-looking man stepped forward. "Ah. The Guardians of Infinity. We meet at last."

"Mystery villain enter and sign-in please." Irma murmured.

Cornelia was resisting the urge to laugh. This guy was so wimpy looking he made Martin seem buff. "_You're _the best Neera has to send? We'll wrap this up in no time."

The man laughed. "Fool. I am Prince Garix, son of the Dark Queen! And the form you see is but an illusion!" With that, he roared and began to transform. The human illusion slipped away and Garix stood as he truly was, a large and powerful entity, half-man and half nightmarish spider. All eight legs were strong, and every inch of him was heavily armored. "Still think you'll trounce _me_?"

"Corny." Irma said, "I'm only going to say this once: STOP ANTAGONIZING MONSTERS!"

"Here we go." Matt thought. He transformed and began to create an illusion.

Will held up the Heart. "Guardians Unite!"


	34. Episode Seven Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seven: "They Call Me MISTER Tubbs" Chapter Three

Garix made the first move. While his soldiers were still struggling to remove their disguises and free their weapons from the cases, he leapt forward and grabbed Cornelia. "Let's see you mock me now!" he snarled.

Cornelia struggled, but couldn't get free. She reached down and used her powers to pull a large sharp rock from beneath the surface, ramming it into Garix at high speed. His armor held. "Didn't feel a thing." he said.

Taranee opened up with a stream of liquid fire, boiling into Garix's back side. He roared in pain but still didn't let his captive go. Elyon and Will launched a combined attack, lightning and pure focused light energy. The force of two strikes at once was enough, and Garix finally dropped Cornelia.

The Earth Guardian stood, wobbly. Irma landed next to her. "Corny are you okay?" she asked.

Anger filled Cornelia's face. "No I'm not. I. Do. Not. Like. Spiders!" She knelt and struck the floor. "Earth!" Large vines and roots erupted from the ground and entangled Garix, but it wasn't effective. He freed himself in moments.

And then the soldiers got their weapons free…

Outside the glamour zone, no one could see what was really happening. Matt decided confusion was the best way to keep people away, so he created illusions of several different dangers to frighten people away. Some heard gunshots, the rattle of semiautomatic assault rifles. Others felt vibrations suggesting an imminent roof collapse. A third group saw the crackling flames of a huge raging fire.

When the screaming started, Caleb and Miranda were trying to get Martin as far away as possible. Miranda tried to distract him with talk of the shelter, and how she could get into a regular volunteer role. Caleb suggested they get something to eat. It was all for naught. The instant Martin realized something bad was happening back at the convention floor, he also realized Irma was still there. He turned and ran towards the battle.

Caleb and Miranda tried to stop him, but his rush was so sudden and unexpected that he gained valuable time on them. As they ran, Miranda said "You certainly can't question his courage."

"Or his devotion to Irma." Caleb agreed. "She's a lucky girl, or will be if he doesn't get himself killed." Miranda didn't reply, too afraid to think of finally making a friend and then losing him.

Cornelia was out of the battle. Garix had nearly squeezed the breathe out of her and the attempt to ensnare him had taken the last of the fight out of her. Hay Lin went invisible and began trying to pick off the soldiers. She was having some success, but though they looked human they were much hardier.

Will and Elyon took positions on either side of the battlefield, protected from the soldier's energy weapons by broken piles of concrete. They were taking shots when they could, but until more of the soldiers were down they wouldn't get many chances.

Irma and Taranee combined water and fire to fill the room with steam, reducing visibility. Once this was done, Taranee retreated to the back, where she tried to help Hay Lin with the soldiers. She couldn't even be seen back there from the front, due to the steam.

This left Irma at the front, trying to keep Garix busy. This may have been the best arrangement, as it turned out the uncompressible nature of water let her get in some strikes that actually hurt him through his armor. As she dueled with the fearsome prince, she heard a phone ringing nearby.

"This is Elyon. Caleb? I'm a little busy right now, what's- Aw no! Can you stop him? Okay, we'll get ready." she hung up. Thought to the others, "Martin got away from Caleb and Miranda. He's almost inside the glamour zone."

"No!" Irma thought. "He's gonna see me, and then…" The thought didn't bear contemplating.

Martin ran towards the sound of gunfire. He was terrified, but that didn't matter. Irma was in danger, and he had to- "What the heck?" In one step, Martin went from hearing the sounds of gunfire to finding himself in a fog filled room. There was obvious damage to the structure. Flashes of light, like laser beams, streaked through the fog. A huge monster was roaring and swinging it's arms and legs at a flying being.

Martin focused on the monster's opponent. It looked like the costume Irma had been wearing in the video. In fact, he now realized, it _was_ Irma. She was making water surge from broken pipes and strike her opponent. "This can't be special effects." he whispered. "But that means…"

As Irma tried to figure out what to do, Garix suddenly turned away from her. "He knows!" The prince shouted. "HE KNOWS!" Garix rushed away from Irma.

Irma looked in the direction Garix was running. There stood Martin. She screamed him name, "Martin! Martin RUN!" She found herself flying to intercept Garix, moving faster than she ever had before. Interposed herself between them. Garix swatted her away like it was nothing. She blacked out when she hit the wall.

Martin watched in horror as the creature swatted Irma aside. He ran to her, knelt at her side. "She's still breathing. At least there's that. I hope she doesn't have a concussion." At the sound of heavy footsteps Martin turned to face the beast. Wanted to throw up. Instead said, "Stay away from my friend you creep."

Garix laughed. "You don't understand. I don't need her anymore. It's you I'm here for." With that he grabbed Martin, knocked him unconscious, turned, and used a transit crystal to open a fold back to Varthan.

Miranda watched as Garix opened the fold. "This had better qualify for the 'life or death' exemption in my probation." she thought, "But even if it doesn't he is NOT getting a friend of mine." She turned into a spider and shot a strand of webbing across the floor between Garix and the fold. In the thick mist he didn't notice it. She then switched forms to the strongest animal in her repertoire, a Meridian Rhinox.

At just the right moment, Miranda pulled on the strand of spider web. It lifted slightly, and Garix tripped over it. As he worked to regain his footing, Miranda prepared to turn into a bird and fly in to grab Martin from his grasp.

This proved unnecessary, when Will flew in from out of the fog and grabbed Martin instead. Garix grabbed for Will's legs but missed, and before he could recover Hay Lin became visible just behind him. "Air!" she shouted, and shot a swirling stream of air that knocked the unbalanced Prince off his feet and into the fold.


	35. Episode Seven Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seven: "They Call Me MISTER Tubbs" Chapter Four

Will landed next to Irma and laid Martin beside her. Hay Lin and Miranda rushed over to them. "Are they okay?" both girls asked at the same time.

Will answered, "They'll need to go to the hospital, make sure they're not concussed. But I think they're just unconscious." She looked at Miranda. "Elyon says don't worry, this is exactly the kind of thing they left that exemption in your probation rules for. You're not in any trouble. Point in fact, that was some good fast thinking."

"Thanks. So what do we do now? The big guy's gone through the fold, but his soldiers are still here."

Hay Lin said, "The soldiers are all knocked out, but they're tough, they'll be back on their feet in no time. Actually, I hear some of them waking up already."

Varthan. Garix fell through the fold and crashed in an undignified position. Looked up to see he wasn't alone. "Note to self," he thought, "Kill all the witnesses to this. Well, except for Aljax, Mother would punish me for harming him." He rose, dusted himself off, and rushed back through the still open fold.

Aljax saw Garix's embarrassing return. Noted that his Prince was empty-handed. Realized immediately what must have happened, and what it implied. Before he could prevent it, Garix returned to earth. Aljax ran for the fold, hoping he wasn't too late…

With a terrible suddenness, Garix reappeared through the fold to Varthan. He stretched his arms high and unleashed a roar so fearful and loud that it even penetrated the glamour zone and was heard outside. Inside, it was not just heard but felt. Will, Hay Lin, and Miranda stood firm between the Prince and his quarry.

Garix called out, "Soldiers, to my aid!" A few joined him, but the rest still hadn't woken up. "We will swat away these insignificant fools and take our prize!" The soldiers cheered.

The battle lines were drawn.

Above the war zone, Matt floated, maintaining the illusion of normal disasters. He wished he could know what was going on outside, but the glamour worked both ways. He called Caleb. "I can't see what's going on outside. Are we still good?"

"Not for long." Caleb answered. "Making different people see and hear different things was smart. It's created confusion that's holding off the authorities. They would've already rushed in if they had a consensus on what's going on. The police and fire rescue are already here though, and confusion's not keeping them at bay much longer."

"Understood." Matt hung up. "C'mon girls, let's wrap this up quick."

Just before Garix could charge, Aljax leapt through the fold. He was screaming loudly, "Stop! Prince Garix stop! You'll kill us all!"

Garix turned, shocked. "What is it Aljax? I'm about to capture my quarry."

"No my Prince! It's too late. You had him before, didn't you? And the Guardians pulled him away from you?"

"Irrelevant. His being pulled from my grasp is not enough to qualify the capture attempt as a failure."

"Not on its own, my Prince. But after you lost him, you _fell through the fold without him_. You left him on earth and returned to Varthan. That almost certainly is enough to qualify as a failure."

Garix burned with rage. Aljax was of course correct. He had failed, and this little twig of a human had nearly gotten him killed by higher powers as well. Martin was now off limits. And so were the Guardians until his mother said otherwise. There was nothing more to do here. "Retreat!" he shouted, and his men returned home, the recovered carrying the unconscious.

When only Garix remained, he turned to the Guardians. "This day is yours. Revel in it, for you have so few of them left. When my mother is ready, we will have a reckoning." He turned and passed through the fold, which closed behind him.

Kandrakar. The counsel had observed the battle from start to finish. Luba said, "This grows more dangerous by the hour. Whatever Queen Neera is after, she is growing reckless in her pursuit of it. Sending one as impetuous as Prince Garix on a mission of this type was foolishness of the highest order."

"Indeed." the Oracle agreed. "I find myself also wondering about the information bought to us by Queen Elyon: that Neera tried to obtain scans of the Aura Mirrors."

Halinoor asked, "Is there really any great mystery there? She must have been after some exploitable weakness."

"That she could never exploit, since neither she nor any working under her command could ever come here in order to carry out the exploit? No. Her goals are something other…"

Matt and the Guardians returned to normal, and Matt dropped the glamour spell. They gathered around Irma and Martin. Irma soon came to, and had to be calmed down when she saw Martin injured. "He'll be okay Irma, he's just knocked out like you were."

"Are you sure? He needs a doctor!"

"Medics will be here soon. They're already coming in the building." Matt said.

Irma held her head. "What happened? The last thing I remember, before I hit the wall, I was sure Garix would get Martin."

"He did." Elyon said. "Miranda stopped him."

Irma grabbed Miranda and squeezed hard. "Can't… breathe…." the girl gasped.

Varthan. Garix bowed before his mother. "I am sorry mother. I failed you. Martin Tubbs is now safe from our forces. I accept whatever punishment you see fit. My life and death are in your hands."

Neera chuckled softly. "Fear not my son. You didn't fail, at least not entirely."

"But… I thought we needed the Guardians to come here."

"Aljax, tell him."

"Of course my Queen." Aljax said. "Prince Garix, did you notice a new attachment on the soldier's weapons? It is a portable form of the scanners in the palace. Weaker, of course. And with a shorter range. If you had gotten Martin Tubbs here, the palace scanners would have obtained more data than these could. But your mission was not a waste. Total data acquisition is now at sixty-one percent."

Neera smiled. "Excellent…"


	36. Episode Seven Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seven: "They Call Me MISTER Tubbs!" Chapter Five

As the paramedics worked to move Martin to the hospital, Irma couldn't be kept away. She stuck close by, asking over and over if they were sure he was alright. Finally, one of them pulled her aside. "Look, your friend will be just fine. We've got to make sure he doesn't have a concussion, but even if he does there's no reason to think he won't fully recover."

"Are you sure? Really sure?"

"Yes. Listen, the only possible long-term impact is that he might have some retrograde amnesia."

"Retro-what?"

"It means he might not remember the moment of the injury, and up to several minutes beforehand. Look, they've got him ready, we've got to move. You better et yourself checked out too, though. You've taken a nasty bump on the head too." The medics left with Martin on a stretcher.

As Irma watched them leave, the others gathered around her. "You see?" Hay Lin said. "He's gonna be fine."

"Didn't you hear what the medic said? He might not remember what he saw."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Caleb asked.

Irma replied, "Yesterday I would have said yes. Today… I dunno, once he saw me, I think a part of me liked the idea of him knowing."

"Well, it's not certain he'll forget." Will said. "Now let's get you to the hospital too."

Later that day, after getting a clean bill of health, Irma made her way to Martin's hospital room. He was awake. She quietly knocked on the door, and he asked her in. Martin slid over slightly and asked her to sit on the edge of the bed. She did.

"So… How are you feeling?" Irma asked.

"Been better. But they tell me I'm not concussed, so it'll pass pretty quickly."

"Let's get this over with." Irma thought. Said, "Martin, do you remember…?"

"I remember it all. And you'd better guess I have some questions."

"I know. And I'll tell you everything. But not here, a hospital doesn't exactly provide the privacy for a full explanation. But Martin, I have to tell you… When Garix threw me into that wall, when I blacked out, hearing was the last thing to go. I heard you telling the big guy off. It was incredibly brave."

"Nah. I was shaking in my boots the whole time. But that's what you do for friends, you stand up for them, keep them safe." Martin grew quiet for a moment, then said, "Irma, I want you to know that in spite of all the fights we've had, in spite of our differences, in spite of the fact that I know we'll never be what I'd like us to be… You can trust me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I won't tell anyone you aren't really human."

Irma laughed. "Oh, Martin you saw what you saw, but you misunderstood it. What you see sitting on this bed next to you? That's the real me, who I am and what I've always been. The Guardian stuff, that's recent, and only when I'm expecting a fight."

Irma thought for a moment about the other part of what Martin had said. "And another thing…" she leaned over and kissed him. "Don't sell yourself short. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out, I'd still be in the dark if you hadn't been endangered, but I do like you, and I do hope we can be more than friends."

"Wow. That came out of nowhere. But I think I like this." They kissed again.

Outside the hospital room, the other Guardians, Matt, and Miranda waited. When they saw the second kiss, they couldn't wait outside anymore. They entered together. "About time." Cornelia said.

Slightly embarrassed, Irma and Martin separated. "How you feeling Martin?" Matt asked.

He looked at Irma. "Much better now. Miranda I'm glad to see you got out unhurt. Is Caleb okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He wasn't even inside when the fight was on."

Martin stared at Miranda for a moment. Looked around and noticed Cornelia was looking pretty roughed up herself. "Wait." He looked at Irma. "Do they…?'

Irma grinned. "Do they know? Yeah. They're actually a part of it. Again, it's a long story not suited to tell here. But I'll tell you this much; Garix failed to get a hold of you, so they can't ever try again. You're safe."

"That's good to know." Martin chuckled. "My friend the super-hero."

"Your _girl_friend the super-hero." Irma corrected. They kissed again, not caring who else was in the room.


	37. Episode Eight Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eight: "Cassidy Revealed" Chapter One

Varthan. Aljax and Garix bowed before their queen. Neera stood looking over a series of photographs. "Hmm. Who to choose?" she mused. "Garix, Aljax, have you any suggestions?"

Aljax stood. "Perhaps the fire Guardian's mother. She is already becoming suspicious on her own. Only a slight push would be needed to complete her journey to the truth."

"I concur." Garix added. "She is ripe for the taking."

"Very well. How shall we proceed?"

Aljax opened a viewing window. "Observe, my Queen. I think we can work with _this_ quite well."

After watching the video, Neera smiled. "Very good Aljax. Very good indeed…"

Irma and Martin walked hand in hand through the park. She had just finished telling him the whole story, and his head was still spinning. "So Elyon Miranda and Caleb are aliens?" he asked.

"I'm not sure if that's the right word. Meridian is more like another dimension than a planet out in space."

"Multiverse theory. Interesting."

"Okay, no idea what that means." Irma laughed.

"It's no big deal. I doubt the difference really matters anyway. What does matter is, I want to help you out somehow. Oh, don't look at me like that. I know I'm not a fighter. There are other ways to help you know."

"Other ways like what?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I'll tell you one thing: What you've told me about this Queen Neera's attacks so far? There's something familiar to me about it. I can't quite put my finger on it though."

"Keep thinking." Irma said. They walked on.

The Cook home. In what was a rarity these days, all four members of the family were present for dinner together. This was due, in no small part, to an ultimatum Theresa had issued to Taranee, and her insistence to Peter that he invite Cassidy. "I've got them both here at once." she thought of Cassidy and her daughter, "Maybe one of them will slip with what this secret of theirs is."

As Lionel began to serve, he asked her "So, I hear you had a rough day?"

"Rough? Oh, you mean my being pulled in to help cover the local cases. Yeah, that's usually unpleasant but at least I got a good laugh out of it."

Cassidy asked, "Laugh? What happened?"

"Well, I was hearing the arraignment cases for these two low life thieves. Both of them rushed to my bench begging me to listen to their story…"

"Let me guess," Peter asked, "A sob story about how poorly they had it growing up. Probably including a grandmother who died four times?"

Theresa answered, "No, though I have heard that one. These guys though, they swore up and down they were accosted by magic fairies and a were-cat-" Theresa was interrupted by the sounds of both girls choking on their food. "Are you girls okay? What happened?"

"Uh… Nothing mom. It's just, um, so funny I couldn't help but start to laugh with my mouth full."

"Same here." Cassidy said.

Theresa said nothing. Just thought things over and reached a decision.

Frankie and Johnny were walking together near their homes. They both kept a nervous lookout for anything strange. "What'r we's gonna do's Johnny?"

'I dunno Frankie. At leasts dat dumb judge set our bails low enoughs we could pays dem. But now we's needs 'ta finds someone what'll believes us."

"Like who Johnny? Some kinda wizards? Who elses gonna believes a story 'bout fairies and cat-peoples?"

"No such ting as wizards Frankie."

"But dose fairies dids exist den?" Frankie retorted. Johnny didn't answer. He knew that for once Frankie had a good point. They continued walking. Johnny tried to think of a solution, but he was drawing a blank. Suddenly, the answer provided itself. A mysterious man emerged from the shadows of a narrow alley.

"Greetings gentlemen." he said, "My name is Aljax. And I have an answer to your current problems…"

After dinner, Taranee headed to her room to finish some schoolwork. Peter and Cassidy joined Lionel in the den for the night's football game. Theresa closed herself in her office, claiming to have paperwork to complete. She was actually planning out how to best approach the decision she had reached during dinner: follow Cassidy discreetly until she saw for herself whatever was happening. She felt ridiculous to be reduced to such a plan, but, by god, if her daughter was in some kind of trouble nothing was going to stop her from finding out what.

Plans made, she slipped upstairs, dressed appropriately, then slipped under the bedcovers and pretended to be asleep while waiting for Cassidy to leave. After half an hour, she heard the sounds of goodbyes. Downstairs, the door closed. Theresa jumped up and nearly collided with Lionel on her way to the back door. "Whoa! Where are you going this late?" he asked. Knowing her husband thought she was being paranoid, she didn't answer, but just slipped out and around the house, ready to follow the girl.

"An jus what's 'problems' does youse tink youse gots da answers to?" Johnny asked Aljax.

"Fairy problems of course. I know they came for you after your robbery attempt."

Frankie stepped in front of Johnny. "Dis geek's jus messin' wit us Johnny! Prolly heards us in da court todays, tinks he can makes fun of us!"

"I hears ya Frankie." Johnny said. "Beat it ya mook!"

"But gentlemen, I really do believe you. Would a description help? You never told anyone what these fairies looked like, right? I'll tell you. They were dressed in blue and purple clothing, with striped stockings. There were six of them, not including the cat-being. Each utilized a different power, fire, earth, electricity…"

Johnny and Frankie looked at each other. Then at Aljax. "Who are youse?"

"As I said, I am Aljax. And I can help you. These particular fairies enforce order and law. Now that they've taken you once, now that you have their attention, they will come for you again and again, every time you try something even vaguely illegal. But there is a way to break their lock on you. A way to be free."

Frankie asked, "And hows dat?"

"It's quite simple. They are beings of law. Harm the law, and you harm them."

Johnny was confused. ""Harm da law'? How's we do dat?"

"Elementary my boy. Eliminate the judge who you saw today. Kill Theresa Cook…."


	38. Episode Eight Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eight: "Cassidy Revealed" Chapter Two

Sheffield Institute. Morning. Taranee, Cornelia, and Nigel were walking together down the science labs hall when they caught sight of a familiar face. An unwelcome familiar face that they had never expected to see again. "Sandra?" Cornelia blurted out.

"Oh, Cordelia wasn't it?" Sandra replied, her fake accent in full swing, "It's been awhile hasn't it? But perhaps not long enough?"

Taranee glowered at her. "Girl, you've got some nerve showing your face here again." She turned inward and sent a thought to the other Guardians, letting them know.

Halfway across the campus, Will, Irma, Elyon and Miranda were hanging out under a large oak tree. Matt and Martin were with them. Suddenly, the three Guardians' heads snapped up in unison. "Sandra!" they all exclaimed. As one, the three turned and began walking quickly towards where Taranee told them to come. Matt Martin and Miranda raced to keep up.

"Wait, Sandra's back? How'd you know?" Martin asked.

Matt answered for him, "Telepathy. Taranee or Cornelia must've seen her."

"Who's Sandra?" Miranda asked.

"Only the most evil self-centered liar we've ever seen around here." Will answered, "Boyfriend stealing, put-down queen trash!"

"She can't really be that bad, can she? I mean you've given ME another chance, how much worse could she be?"

In answer, the other girls just looked at Miranda for a moment, then hurried on…

Having followed Cassidy home and observed a darkened apartment for half the night, Theresa Cook could barely stay awake for her court proceedings. More than once she fought off the urge to yawn, and when she was thinking, it was less on the case before her and more on Cassidy.

"I've got to tail her again tonight." she thought, "I need to keep it up until I know what's going on with Taranee. But I won't be able to do that without sleep." Theresa then did her best to focus on the case before her, but resolved to delay the afternoon's cases until the following day, so she could go home early and get rested for tonight. With all of these distractions she can be forgiven for failing to notice the two familiar faces watching the case from the public seating…

Hay Lin caught up with Taranee and Cornelia just as the other Guardians also did. "I don't believe it." she said. "Of all the nerve, showing up back here. What is she thinking, is she insane?"

"I still don't get what all the fuss is about." Miranda said.

Sandra noticed the group standing together and boldly walked up to them again. "My my, the barbarian hoard has grown. And all for little me. I'd be honored if you were worth it." She focused on Miranda. "New kid in town? Dear, you'd not look bad if you got rid of those atrocious freckles."

Miranda's eyes narrowed. "I withdraw my earlier question. I see what you mean."

"Sandra, why are you here?" Irma asked, "We all know you're phony! Everyone at Sheffield knows! Why put yourself through what's gonna happen? Why come back?"

Sandra replied, "You know the old song, 'Stand By Your Man?' I stand by mine. My boyfriend gets transferred here, I get daddy to transfer me back as well."

"Boyfriend!" everyone exclaimed.

Judas Ananias strode the halls of Sheffield Institute with the swagger of a boy who knows his own strength and isn't hesitant to use it. His father had arranged for him to attend school here after the army transfer. He moved with confidence, shoving anyone fool enough to be in his way aside. He slammed open the closed doors and saw his girl.

"Judas!" Sandra squealed. She ran to him and embraced tightly around him. They kissed.

"I am going… to be physically…. ill…" Will commented upon seeing the spectacle. Most of the others agreed. Irma made retching sounds as they turned away.

Blunk was delighted. Thanks to Mama, his new home was shaping up. "Funny humans," he thought, "throwing away perfectly good treasures as trash. Worse here than on Meridian. Oh well, human's loss is Blunk's gain."

Mama held up a busted toilet seat cover. "Where you want sculpture Blunky-boo?" she asked.

"It go good in kitchen Mama" he answered.

"And this… uh, Blunky-boo, Mama not know what this is." she said as she held up an ancient ribbon cable.

"Ooh, Mama that's er…. Blunk not know what it is either."

"No matter. Mama bet it look good in bedroom."

"Decorating go perfect!" Blunk thought to himself. "Soon, Blunk invite girls over for housewarming party."

Sheffield at lunch time. The cafeteria was overflowing. As the girls and their respective boyfriends sat down to eat, Martin was nowhere to be seen. "I wonder where Martin is?" Irma asked.

"I just saw him by his locker." Matt answered. "maybe I should go check on him, that new guy was hanging out pretty close by, and he seems like the type to pick on people."

"I'll come too." Irma said. Together they walked out to Martin's locker, which wasn't far from the cafeteria. The hallway was deserted. "He's not here."

"Yes he is." said Martin, speaking from out of his locker.

Matt looked at the locker. "Dude, what happened?"

"Judas happened. Together with Uriah, plus Sandra and the Grumpers looking on. I think they've already formed their own little clique together."

Irma said, "Don't worry sweetie, we'll get you outta there. What's your combination?" Martin told her.

Early afternoon. The Cook residence. Johnny and Frankie watched from the road. "Should's we do it now's Johnny?" Frankie asked.

"Nah. It's too vulnerable like. We need's a chance 'ta hits her when she's aways from her home and family. We'll gets a chance. Keep youse eyes peeled fors trouble. I'm gonna gets some sleep."

"Alrights…. Hey Johnny, youse really tink we's can trust dis Aljax guy?"

"'Course nots. But dat don't matters. Whatevers he wants, I bet's he telled us da truth dis time 'ta gets on our good sides. So we's do like he say, get's rid o da fairies, den ditch him and dis town fo good a'for he asks for mores."

"Dat's a good plan Johnny. Get's youse sleep, I'll watch out."


	39. Episode Eight Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eight: "Cassidy Revealed" Chapter Three

Varthan. Garix was watching the image of the two hoods together with his mother and Aljax. "I am confused." he said. "How can we attack Theresa Cook with these men? It is a physical attack, does it not violate the rules?"

"We are exploiting a loophole my son." Neera explained, "They do not technically work for me. They are not even aware of my existence. True, we pointed them in the right direction, but that is all we did. Their actions are their own, and they are free to take those actions, or not."

"I believe I comprehend now. Shall I prepare a strike team?"

"Yes. As soon as the fire Guardian has to protect her mother, you will go…"

Earth. Elyon and Alchemy were enjoying a shopping trip together. It was the first thing they had done together since Elyon's return, and Alchemy was happy to get some time alone with her friend. Then again, it wasn't quite 'alone'. She had noticed him almost immediately, but didn't say anything for nearly an hour. Finally, when she caught sight of him for the tenth time, she could stay silent no more. "Elyon?" she asked.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Look over there, by the food court entrance. Isn't that Cornelia's boyfriend?"

Elyon looked, just in time to see Caleb disappear behind a large potted palm. "Yeah, that's him." she said innocently. "What about it?"

"He's been following us, watching you, all afternoon. Everywhere we go, there he is. It's getting creepy."

"Don't worry Alchemy. I'll talk to Cornelia about it, she'll take care of things."

Elyon opened her mind to Taranee's link. "Hey Cornelia?" she thought.

"Yeah El, what's up?"

"Listen, I love Caleb's commitment to his bodyguard role. It's very noble and honorable. But his subtlety leaves a lot to be desired. He's freaking Alchemy out."

"Whoops. I'll talk to him on our date tomorrow."

"Thanks."

Dusk. Theresa Cook was waiting when Cassidy came out of her apartment and walked down the street towards the city center. "I know Peter doesn't have a date with her tonight." Theresa thought, "So maybe she'll do other things I need to see." Following at a discreet distance, she failed to notice that she, too, was being followed.

"When does we do it Johnny?" Frankie asked.

"Soons as she's alone off da main roads." Johnny answered.

Cassidy, of course, was much older and wiser than Theresa realized. She knew all along she was being followed, though she too had failed to notice the hoodlums further back. She pulled out her phone, and confident that Theresa was too far away to hear, dialed Taranee. "It's Cass." she said when Taranee answered. "Your mom is following me just like we thought."

Taranee was worried. "Now what do we do?"

"Whatever we do, you DO NOT come here. The last thing we need is further confirmation in her mind of a link between us. I'll lead her to some isolated dead end and confront her. I'll deal with how to proceed from there, but she can't know about you for her own safety."

"I don't like this, but alright." They hung up.

Varthan. Aljax smiled at the image. "There we go. That call must've been to the Fire Guardian. Soon she'll arrive, and just in time to save her mother, and make mother a target at the same time."

Garix bowed before the Queen. "I go to earth Mother. Glory shall be yours!"

Cassidy turned down a narrow alley way between two old buildings. Theresa followed. Soon she lost sight of Cassidy, but continued on. When she caught up, the girl was standing at a dead-end, facing her. "Mrs. Cook, why are you following me?"

"So that's it huh?" Theresa thought. "Alright, let's have it out." She said, "I know you and Taranee are hiding something from me. I just want to know what it is. Please, tell me if my daughter is in any trouble."

"She's not in trouble." Cassidy said. "And why do you think we're hiding things? Do you think that poorly of her? Of me?"

"Of course not." Theresa said. "But I know when I'm being lied to, and-" Before she could finish, two men came out of the shadows behind her.

"Well well, looky what's we gots here." said Johnny.

"Hullo Judge." Frankie said, "Didn't tink you'd be seein' us agains, didja?" They pulled guns from under their jackets.

"I know you. You're the two nuts that think fairies are after you. Please, let me get you some help."

"Nuts? NUTS? Youse fool! Dem fairies' is real! And now we's gots 'ta off youse so dat they stays away froms us!"

Cassidy moved between Theresa and the two men. "Wait. You think you have to kill a Judge to keep fairies away, and you don't think you're nuts? Cause I gotta tell you guys, I've seem Planters cans with less nuts than that."

"Shut it tart!" Frankie yelled. "We's don't wants 'ta kill da judge! Heck, shes gaves us a real fair bond 'n everyting. But's dat man tolds us law fairies cans only be gotten rid off by hurtin' da law!"

"Tart?" Cassidy exclaimed, indignant at the insult. She knew what she was going to have to do, and began reaching deep down inside herself for the power, all the while hoping this didn't play into Neera's plans.

Prince Garix and his men watched from a nearby rooftop. "Where is the Fire Guardian? This is all for nothing if she doesn't show soon!" he growled. He then thought to himself, "So help me, if these two bungle the plan, I will kill them myself when we invade this world."

Theresa stood just behind Cassidy. "Run!" she whispered. "It's me they want."

"Not a chance. I don't back down from slime like this. Never have. I, uh, don't suppose I could convince you to close your eyes for a few seconds could I?"

"Close my eyes? For what?"

"Didn't think so. Oh well, it's do or die, and I'm not letting my boyfriend's mother die…" As Johnny and Frankie realized something was up and took aim, Cassidy reached into her own life-force and tapped the residual power left there. She held out an open hand towards Johnny and Frankie. "Water!"

As soon as Cassidy spoke the word, huge fountains burst from the ground, as well as from the walls of the surrounding buildings. Johnny and Frankie were swept into the flow, loosing their guns as they were carried down and out of the alley. Exhausted from the exertion of using her own energy, Cassidy collapsed to her knees, but didn't pass out.

Theresa stared, wide-eyed, at the young girl before her. "What was _THAT_?" she demanded.


	40. Episode Eight Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eight: "Cassidy Revealed" Chapter Four

Theresa stared at Cassidy as the girl pulled herself back onto her feet. "Wow. Draining life-force really takes it out of you."

"I asked you a question young lady." Theresa said. "What was that?"

"Mrs. Cook… Theresa… I'll tell you what you want to know, but we've got to get out of here. I don't know if I took all the fight out of them or not, and if not they'll come back again." Cassidy started to walk away, then realized Theresa wasn't following. She turned back. "I swear to you, you don't need to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you, I only do that kind of thing to the bad guys."

Theresa was indeed frightened. Still… "Well… You did save my life I guess. That's got to count for something. Let's go, but where are we going?"

"Back to my place."

Garix watched in shock. He hadn't realized former Guardians retained some power. "Shall we attack sir?" A soldier asked. "She has seen Guardian powers now."

"No. This is splitting hairs very finely, but this may not be sufficient to satisfy the rules of engagement. Cassidy used Guardian powers, but she is not a current Guardian, and worse, not related to Theresa Cook. If she were married to the Fire Guardian's brother, this would be more clear cut. But as it is, mother would not want us taking the risk."

"Then shall we return home to Varthan my prince?"

"Yes." Garix held aloft the transit crystal and opened a fold.

Irma and Martin were on a double date with Will and Matt. As they left the movie theater, Matt said "You've been reserved all night Martin. What's wrong?"

Irma held him close. "Is this still about the locker incident?"

"Nah. It's not like that hasn't happened before. I'm still thinking about what I told you before Irma."

Will leaned over. "Ooh, is this something private between the lovebirds?"

"Martin thinks there's something familiar about Neera's attack pattern." Irma informed her, "Something he's seen or read about somewhere before."

"The more I think about it, the more certain I get." Martin said. "It's right there, I mean _right there_, but I just can't grasp it."

"Don't try to fight for it." Matt advised him. "Just let it come in it's own good time. That's always faster."

Theresa sat in a chair in Cassidy's kitchen. Cassidy sat across from her. "Ask your questions." she said.

"The big one first. How did you do that water thing?"

"Long story short? Magic. No really, don't look at me like that. I used to have access to a magical power source that let me control water, however I wanted, effortlessly. The power source isn't connected to me anymore, but a bit of the power is still here. I can use it in emergencies, but it's not easy because to power it now I have to use some of my own life energy."

"And Taranee? Is this what her secret is? Does she know about this? Can she do this as well? What is my daughter caught up in?"

"Yes, Taranee knows about what I can do. No, she can't do it herself. I swear to you Taranee has no ability to control water."

"Hmmm…" Theresa mused aloud, "You're telling me the truth, or at least you've learned to mislead with a partial truth. Why do I suspect the latter?"

"I have no idea."

"You avoided my last question. What is my daughter caught up in?"

Cassidy fought to avoid feeling exasperated. She knew Theresa was just being a good mother, but it made it harder to keep her safe. "Theresa, why does Taranee have to be 'caught up' in anything? She's a teenage girl. She has a boyfriend. She has a massive class load for her 4.0 GPA. She has friends."

Theresa stared at her. "I know you're lying, yet at the same time I know you're right. How can you be so young and so compelling?"

"What the heck? Cassidy said. "One more piece of truth… I'm a little older than I look."

Theresa raised an eyebrow. "How much older?"

"About sixty." Theresa fainted.

Outside the theater, the two couples just hung out, enjoying the cool but comfortable night. The happiness didn't last long. "Well well, if it's not locker-boy!" Martin and Irma looked up to see Uriah and Judas approaching. Sandra and the Grumper sisters stood at a distance, watching and giggling.

Uriah focused on Irma when he saw her holding Martin's hand. "And who's this? Locker-girl? Ooh, wouldn't you like to be shoved in there together?" He made mocking smooching sounds.

Irma was boiling with anger. Overhead, the formerly clear sky began to fill with dark clouds. Thunder rumbled, and a downpour began. Irma, Martin, Will, and Matt were safely under the matinee awning and remained dry. Uriah and company were quickly soaked and shivering cold. As Uriah jumped under cover, Irma couldn't resist saying, "Looks like you're all wet Uriah. And by the way, yeah, I _would _like to be shoved in together." She turned and kissed Martin in front of him.

Uriah sputtered in shock. "You… you're really… Ahh man, wait'll everyone hears about this tomorrow morning!" He ran to catch up with Judas and the others.

"Sorry Irma." Martin said.

"Sorry for what? You think I'm embarrassed to be with you? Let Uriah tell the world, it'll save me the trouble."


	41. Episode Eight Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eight: "Cassidy Revealed" Chapter Five

Taranee and Cassidy stood over the still unconscious Theresa. "What happened to her?" Taranee asked.

Cassidy chuckled. "She was doing okay with seeing my old water power, and the explanation I gave her for it. Then I told her how old I really am. Guess it was a bit too much on top of everything else."

"How much does she know about me?" Taranee asked

"Only that you know about me. And that you don't control water. We'd better be quiet now, hearing is the first thing to come back."

Taranee sat on the bed next to her mother and waited. After about fifteen minutes she started to stir. "Mom? Mom can you hear me?"

Theresa opened her eyes. "Taranee? How did I get home?"

"You aren't home. Cassidy called me after you fainted. You've been out over an hour. Here, let me help you sit up."

Varthan. Garix bowed before Neera and apologized. "Forget it my son." she said. "There was no way to predict that the fire Guardian would not show. And given that she didn't, you made the correct decision."

"Her Majesty speaks true my Prince." Aljax said. "The rules are hard to decipher in cases this odd. You might have been in the clear to capture Theresa Cook after she saw Cassidy use her old powers. But then again, you might not have been. I would call the odds fifty-fifty, so it was wise to come down on the side of caution."

"Then what shall we do now?" Garix asked.

"Create a new plan of course." Neera said. "There is always room for a new plan." Neera withdrew into the darkest portion of her throne room, the better to think on what to do next…

Theresa stared at Taranee for several minutes before speaking. "How could you know about something like this and not tell me?"

"Would you have believed it?"

"Probably not." Theresa admitted. "But my eighteen year old son is dating a sixty year old woman!"

Cassidy peeked in. "Not exactly. It's true I was born sixty-odd years ago. But then I spent about forty years kind of dead, so in terms of years of life experienced, I'm not much more than twenty."

"And her physical body really is the equivalent of eighteen." Taranee added.

"Dead." Theresa repeated. She looked at her daughter. "How do you cope with this?"

"It's not so bad. And most of my life is normal. It's not like I'm running around shooting water at bad guys. Oh, c'mon mom, Cassidy's had a hard time of life. She needs some happiness."

"I love Peter." Cassidy said, "But I respect parental rights. I beg you not to say the word, but if you do I'll break it off and stay away."

"You really would, wouldn't you?" Theresa asked. "Does Peter know?"

"No. He's totally oblivious."

"Alright. I'll accept this. For now. I'm beat Taranee, and I've got a pair of thugs to have the police put an A.P.B. out on. Let's go home."

Martin Tubbs lay in bed, not quite asleep. His thoughts drifted back and forth between the suspicion on his mind and the first real date he and Irma had been on as boyfriend/girlfriend. It still seemed amazing to him that he actually had a girlfriend. In some ways it was more incredible than this whole Guardian business he had also learned about.

"Focus." he thought to himself. "It's important. What is in your brain that's making Neera's strategy seem so familiar?" As he lay on his back, he remembered Matt's advice. "Don't fight for it. Just let it come in it's own good time.' Well, he had been fighting for it for two days with nothing to show. "It can't hurt to try it." he decided.

So Martin forced himself to think about anything other than his suspicions. Irma, school, Uriah's jerkiness, Irma, today's dinner, Irma, the movie, Irma…. In time he drifted off to sleep, but didn't stay there for long. Suddenly he sat upright in bed, fully awake. "It's a Xanatos Gambit!" he exclaimed.

Will arrived home from her date to find the apartment empty. A note was stuck to the refrigerator.

Will, gone to a late dinner with Dean. You've got school tomorrow so don't wait up. There's spaghetti in the fridge if you're hungry. Love Mom.

As Will was waiting for the food to reheat, Dave the refrigerator got her attention. "Miss Will, may I ask a question?"

"What is it Dave?"

The appliance told her. "He had a WHAT!" Will exclaimed.

Dean and Susan had enjoyed a wonderful, romantic dinner in the fine upscale restaurant. She knew Dean must have something on his mind, why else would he have sprung for this? She knew a place this fancy must be severely taxing his finances. She just prayed that he hadn't decided the Guardian thing was too much to handle. She hoped he wasn't saying goodbye in the nicest way he could find to do so.

"Have you enjoyed the evening?" he asked her.

"Very much. Dean, this is easily the nicest place I've ever been in."

"I'm glad. I can't do this every day, but I wanted the perfect venue."

"Here it comes." she thought. "It was nice while it lasted."

Dean then held out an open box containing a beautiful ring. "Susan, will you marry me?" She was in shock. They had talked about it of course. Even recently. But somehow she hadn't really thought it would ever happen. Now here it was. She just had to say yes.

Trembling, she took his free hand. "Of course I will."


	42. Episode Nine Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nine: "Xanatos" Chapter One

Earth. The Vandom residence. Susan and Dean passed through the front door, laughing and in high spirits, to find Will waiting for them. She was sitting in the recliner facing the door. She grinned and said, "Congratulations you two. Now let me see the ring."

The newly engaged couple exchanged a surprised glance before turning back to the girl. "Will, how did you know?" Dean asked.

"Before you two left earlier, while mom was in the bathroom finishing getting ready, you pulled out the ring box and opened it to make sure the ring was still seated properly."

Dean was still at a loss. "So? How did you know about that?"

"Because you did it in the kitchen. In front of the gossipy refrigerator that just couldn't wait to tell me as soon as I got home." Will said. Susan laughed and held out her hand, showing the ring. "Whoa!" Will exclaimed, "That must've cost a fortune!"

Still ruminating on Will's mention of the fridge, Dean said "I'm not gonna be able to keep a secret in this family am I?"

Grinning, Will replied "Not in the kitchen, that's for sure. You might try the bathroom. The hair dryers are pretty taciturn. But you'd need to get rid of the electric toothbrush, he won't shut up for nothing."

An odd look crossed Susan's face. "Tomorrow morning I'm buying a regular toothbrush." she said.

"Why do you think I switched to one?" Will asked.

Martin struggled to resist the urge to call Irma right away. His realization that Queen Neera's strategy resembled a Xanatos Gambit, in fact might actually _be_ one, was important. "But it's one a.m." He thought to himself. "And besides, given the nature of the beast, figuring this out is almost more bad news than good, seeing as how we still don't know what the goal behind the gambit is."

Finally, he decided there was no reason to rush. He would see everyone at school in the morning, and a few hours were unlikely to make any real difference anyway. Happy that he had at least figured out this much, he returned to bed.

Taranee Cook say in bed, nearly asleep, when a slight knock came at her door. "I'm awake. Come on in." she said, knowing who it had to be.

Theresa entered, closed the door behind her, and crossed the room. She sat on the edge of the bed next to her daughter. "I know I should be letting you sleep. You've got school tomorrow after all. But… Taranee this is still bothering me, and I need to talk about it."

Yawning, Taranee said "Then let's talk. Just tell me you're not planning to make Cass stay away from Peter."

"No. No it's not like that. I can tell she really cares for him. The truth is, I think I can deal with what I know about her, it's just going to take a little while to get used to it."

"Then what's bothering you?"

Theresa sighed. "Taranee, Cassidy said to me 'I swear Taranee can't control _water _like I do.' Now, I could tell that was the truth. But it still felt misleading. And I still feel like you are hiding something from me. So… If you don't control water… what do _you_ have control over?"

"Crap." Taranee thought. "Now what?"

Varthan. Garix watched as Theresa pushed the Fire Guardian for the truth. "She's so close now." he thought. Turning to his mother, he said "Soon, soon she will be ours! Let me take a strike force Mother!"

"Not so fast my son." the Dark Queen answered. "The Fire Guardian is most clever. She may yet manage to defuse the situation in a way that prevents us from acting." Together, they continued to observe.

Thinking quickly, Taranee hit upon an idea. A terribly unlikely, risky idea. But as the only thing she could think of, it would have to do, risk or no. "Mom, Cassidy has told me a lot about what things were like for her back when she was fighting evil on a regular basis. She once said that a lot of magical entities have very specific rules they have to follow, no matter what."

"I'm listening. What does this have to do with my question to you?"

"Just this. _Hypothetically_, if I did have some kind of magical powers, evil magic beings would be unable to threaten my family so long as the family remained in the dark about me."

"Hypothetically." Theresa repeated.

"Right. This is all hypothetical. So, _Hypothetically_, you would be endangering yourself, dad, and Peter, by pushing for the truth, assuming, _hypothetically_, that I did have some kind of powers like Cassidy."

"Which of course you don't."

"Exactly."

Mother and daughter sat quietly next to each other for several minutes, not speaking. Finally, Theresa said "Well. For the good of the family then, I guess it's for the best that I was wrong about you. I'll let you get your sleep. Good night Taranee."

"G'night mom. Hey, you did remember to turn the alarm on right? Those guys that came after you are still on the loose."

"It's on. Sleep tight." Theresa left, closing the door behind her. Relieved, Taranee fell back into her pillows

"Man that was close." she thought.

Varthan. Queen Neera motioned to the viewing window. "You see Prince Garix? What did I tell you? The girl managed to plug the potential danger quite nicely with the judicious use of the word 'hypothetical.' Theresa Cook still suspects, but will push no further."

"Mother, surely this is close enough to build upon. If I appeared before them, and assailed not the family but the Guardian herself, she would defend herself in front of them. They would see. They would know."

Aljax said, "That is risky, my Prince. It should be reserved for the last contingency, done only if all else has failed."

"Aljax speaks true." Neera said. "We just need a new plan now, and a target for it."


	43. Episode Nine Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nine: "Xanatos" Chapter Two

Morning. Sheffield Institute. The Guardians and most of their allies were gathered together in the front courtyard under a large oak tree. "So what's this about again Irma?" Hay Lin asked.

"I really don't know. Martin called me really early, said to get everyone together. He said he 'had it figured out.' whatever that means."

Matt said, "Wasn't he trying to remember something that made Neera's scheme seem familiar to him? Maybe he finally put two and two together on it."

"I hope so." Will said, "We need all the help we can get on this one."

Elsewhere on campus, Martin was rushing to meet his friends. He hadn't counted on Judas and Uriah. As he rounded a corner, Judas stuck out a leg and tripped him. Martin flew through the air, and landed sprawled out in the hallway floor. His books and papers scattered everywhere.

"Not bad dude." Uriah said. "Now for the fun part."

"No, I got this. You need to go get on air. That's your part."

"Oh, yeah that's right." Uriah replied. "I'm on my way."

Watching Uriah run for the studio, Judas thought to himself "Idiot." He then began to manhandle the woozy Martin towards an open and empty locker. While Judas shoved Martin into the locker, Sandra and the Grumper sisters gathered up all of his belongings and shoved them into the nearby trashcan.

Irma looked at her watch. "Where could Martin be? We'll have to get to classes pretty soon now."

"It's not like him to be late." Cornelia agreed. "Especially where you're concerned."

"I don't like this. I've got a bad feeling something's happened to him on the way here." Miranda said.

"What could happen _in_ the school?" Will asked. "Another locker incident? What are the odds of that two days in a row?"

At that moment, the speakers crackled, and Uriah's voice came on the air. _"Good morning Sheffield! Uriah Dunn here, with some big, big news about everyone's favorite 'Lair on the Air'! It seems our own little Irma is getting all lovey-dovey with class reject Martin Tubbs! Who'da thunk it? And best of all, anyone who wants to see just how lame Tubbs-boy is, I encourage you to head on down to the English studies hall, locker 2814!"_

The Guardians ran for the location, Irma in a considerable lead…

A considerable crowd had formed by the time Irma reached the English hall. She found the locker and knocked on it. "Martin? You in there?"

"Where else would I be?" He asked. "Seems like this is the kind of place I spend all my time hanging out now."

Miranda arrived next. "Can you get him out?"

Irma shook her head. She whispered, "No. I don't have the combination to this one. Corny can probably open it, but she'll need a diversion so no one is looking."

"One diversion coming up. Hey Sandra!"

Sandra looked over. "I'm sorry, were you talking to moi?"

"That's right. I'm just wondering where you got that awful hair color from. I hope the beautician paid you back after messing things up that badly. You look like a carrot." A rush of 'ooo's passed through the growing crowd.

"This color is natural you little sow."

"She's not very good at this." Miranda thought. "She just handed me the perfect opening." She then said, "It _grows_ that way? I am so sorry for you."

With a shriek, Sandra jumped at Miranda who simply dodged out of the way. As this was happening, the remaining Guardians arrived. "Irma! What's going on!" Elyon asked.

Irma thought the answer to them. "She's creating a distraction so no one is looking at the locker. Cornelia, think you can spring the lock?"

"Easily." Cornelia looked around, confirmed everyone was indeed watching Sandra's attempts to attack Miranda. Placed a hand over the lock and whispered "Earth." From the ground beneath the building, a root began to grow a slim vine that passed through cracks in the foundation and into the locker. There, it jammed into the lock mechanism and sprung it.

The door opened quietly and Martin stepped out. "Thanks Cornelia." he whispered.

With half the student body watching, Miranda continued to dodge Sandra's clumsy attempts to assault her. She was determined to not strike back. Fortunately, her attacker was so inexperienced that avoiding her strikes was simplicity itself. After a short time, the 'battle' was interrupted by a pair of teachers and Principal Nickelbocker.

"What on earth is going on here?" the principal demanded. "Two new students already getting into fights?"

Caleb and Matt stepped forward out of the crowd. "It's not like that ma'am. Judas stuffed Martin into that locker. Then, when Miranda tried to get him out Judas' girlfriend Sandra jumped her! Everyone here can tell you that Miranda just defended herself. She never even threw a single punch."

Nickelbocker looked towards the crowd. "Is this true?" A resounding yes came from the whole group. "Well, alright then. Judas and Sandra come with me. Everyone else get to your classes. You've just enough time to make it if you all hurry. Now, which locker is poor Martin stuck in? I can have the janitor let him out."

Judas pointed to a locker, then exclaimed "Hey! It's open already!"

Martin walked over. "Yeah. You chose badly. There's something wrong with the lock on that one. It sprung open for me real easy."

"But… But I had Uri- That moron! I told him to double check that it was working since no one was using it! I'll pound him later!"

"You'll 'pound' no one" Nickelbocker said, "Because you'll be in detention until you graduate. Now come along."

As the student body dispersed, Miranda stood watching Sandra led away by the principal. Elyon and Hay Lin approached her. "That was good work." Hay Lin said. "Effective, and you didn't even have to hit her."

Elyon agreed, "You did good."

"Thanks." Miranda said. "I did it for a friend, and I'd do it again if I had to. But I kinda feel bad for Sandra."

"Bad for _her_?" both Guardians asked, shocked.

"Maybe I'm wrong about this, but there's something about her… I think she acts the way she does because she feels the same way I used to. Something in her life… she acts happy and secure, but it's just that: an act. She's almost as deep in despair as I was."


	44. Episode Nine Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nine: "Xanatos" Chapter Three

At lunchtime, everyone gathered together outside. Irma plopped down on the ground next to Martin, opened a soda, and said "Okay, we've waited long enough. What's this big realization you've had about Neera's plans?"

Everyone looked at Martin. Not used to being on the spot, he swallowed hard and began. "It's called a Xanatos Gambit. It's kind of hard to explain with just a definition, so I'll give an example if that's okay."

"Example's fine Martin." Will said. "Go ahead."

"Okay… Imagine you're a villain. You have some big, overarching plan of action that you want to achieve for your goals. But you can't do it yourself, because there's one part of the plan, one needed ingredient, that you simply cannot supply on your own. Your opponents do have the ability to do the thing you need, but they'll never knowingly do it for you. So, you create an elaborate series of secondary plans which look like real plots. Your opponents, the heroes in this story, then move in to stop your fake plot, and in the process of stopping it, unwittingly do the very thing you really need them to do."

Taranee said, "You're saying Neera's only after our friends and family as a side plot to help some other real goal?"

"Assuming I'm right, yes. A properly executed Xanatos Gambit has two layers to it. The first is the part about tricking your opposite number into helping you. But the second part is, the little side plots are set up in such a way, that if the good guys don't succeed in stopping it, your big plan is helped a lot, but even if they do stop that one plot, the big main plan is still somehow helped out at least a little."

"You keep referring to this as something only a villain can pull off…" Matt started to say.

Martin interrupted, "Not at all. Technically the good guys can pull one off too. It's just that, well, to really make this concept work you need to be ruthless. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes, without moral boundaries. So it's harder for someone on the side of good to make it work."

Caleb said, "We're assuming here. Martin might be wrong."

Cornelia agreed with her boyfriend, but Will said "No. He's right. Somehow this feels right." Elyon and Hay Lin agreed with Will.

"Okay," Irma said to Martin, "If you're right about this, how do we counter it? What can we do to break Neera's plans and put a stop to her?"

Martin sighed deeply. "I'm not sure you can. At least not during this phase. The only way to break a Xanatos Gambit is to figure out exactly what the gambit planner wants you to do, and exactly why they want you to do it, and then do the precise opposite instead."

"But the precise opposite would probably include not protecting our families!"

"Yeah. That's another reason this type of thing doesn't work as well for the good guys. The bad guys aren't likely to have moral qualms about ignoring threats to their families, for example"

Varthan. Neera, Aljax, and Garix watched the Guardians' meeting. "This Martin Tubbs is too smart by half." Aljax said. "It's really too bad we weren't able to eliminate him."

"Indeed." Neera agreed. "But it's really no matter."

"No matter? Mother, they are uncovering our strategy!" Garix shouted.

"Irrelevant. Calm yourself my son. They've found only the basics. The details elude them, and will until it is too late."

Back at Sheffield, Taranee said "Even if we can't change our behavior enough to stop Neera's plans, we should still try to figure out exactly what she wants from us. It can only help."

"Good plan." Miranda agreed. "I think what you need to do is ask yourselves, 'what has every single one of Neera's attacks had in common? What is always the same about how you react to those plans?"

"What's always the same?" Hay Lin mused. "We always have to use our powers!"

Martin said, "Good start, but not enough. If that's all she wants, there are much easier ways to get it. Safer ways too. From what Irma tells me of how the rules they follow work, they took a risk coming after me the way they did."

Caleb snapped his fingers. "Emotions!" he exclaimed. Everyone looked at him waiting for an explanation…

Judas fumed as he finally left the principal's office. Four weeks detention. Oh well, he'd had worse. As he walked towards the cafeteria, hoping there was something left to eat, he saw Uriah down a cross hallway. Moving quietly, he crept up behind him and struck the boy hard across the back of the head. Uriah went down hard, but didn't pass out. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"For screwing up with the locker you dip! The lock didn't work, Tubbs got free on his own."

"What? How? I tell you man, I checked that lock over, it was fine!"

"Whatever man. Let's go meet the girls for what's left of lunch."

"Sounds good. So what's the deal with you and Sandra? You don't seem like the type to fall in love with anyone."

"I'm not. I don't love her, she's just cute to keep around. Truth is, I don't feel anything towards anyone. Except maybe hate. Yeah, I hate her, I hate you, I even hate myself. It's the only real feeling in this world man." At a loss of what to say, Uriah remained quiet for once.

"Emotion…" Cornelia prompted Caleb to continue.

"I was just thinking. There's a lot of magic that uses the energy from different types of emotions, both positive and negative. Maybe Neera needs you to feel something while using your powers, and then she collects it for some use."

Miranda said, "That's plausible. Phobos used to do that kind of thing a lot."

Matt looked at Will. "What do you think? How's the Heart reacting to this type of talk?"

"Oddly. I get the feeling that Caleb is technically wrong about Neera wanting emotions for casting magic, but on the right track about emotions being what she wants. Especially negative emotions. When she had mom, I felt anger, sadness, fear, even a little rage and hate. I think she wants something with that. But what?"


	45. Episode Nine Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nine: "Xanatos" Chapter Four

Will arrived home to find her mother looking through bridal catalogs. "Searching for the perfect dress?" she asked.

"Yeah. Not finding it either, I'm afraid. I did find something that might look good on you if you're willing to be the maid of honor."

Will's eyes grew wide. "Really? You'd let me do that?"

"Will, of course I would! Why do you even need to ask? Anyway, take a look at this little number. It'll look good on you sweetie." Susan passed over one of the magazines, and pointed to one of the models. "What'dya think? Would you like to wear that?"

"Yeah." Will said, looking at the dress. "But it won't really fit me. In a couple years it might, but- Wait. Are you suggesting that I… No, I can't do that! I mean, sure it would cover the wings but people will ask questions about why I look so much older."

"What people? Will, Dean and I can't really afford some big lavish wedding. And we don't really have much other family. Neither does Dean. It'll just be us and maybe your friends, with a judge or a justice of the peace."

"Mom, no. You can't do that, you deserve the big full wedding."

"I wish we could Will. But there's just no way."

"Maybe there is…" Will though to herself. She opened her mind to the Guardian's telepathic link. "Hey Elyon, you there? I've got a question…"

Later that evening, Caleb met Cornelia at her home and escorted her to dinner and a movie. It was the first real date they had been able to keep in nearly a month, and both enjoyed the time together. Cornelia knew she had to speak with Caleb about his lack of subtlety in protecting Elyon, but she decided to save it for the end of the night.

And so, three hours later as they walked along the beach after the movie, she said to him "Caleb? I need to talk about something."

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well, I know how important your bodyguard role to Elyon is to you…"

"You bet it is. For the first time in my life Meridian has a good and just leader. There's no way I'm letting anyone ruin that. I guess it must seem kind of dumb, I mean she's the one with the powers. But I've got to do my duty."

Cornelia said, "That's good. But you need to be more careful. Yesterday Alchemy noticed you following Elyon around the Mall all afternoon. She was freaked. Thought you were some kind of pervert."

Caleb stopped, turned, and kissed her. "Okay okay. I'll try to learn more subtlety. But in the meantime I can't back down from my duties."

As they started to kiss again, a strong pungent odor reached them. "Blunk." they said together.

Cornelia shouted, "C'mon out Blunk, we know you're there!"

In response, Blunk scrambled out from behind a bush. "Ahh, good. Blunk glad he find you both. Blunk have good news! Build new home in sewer system!"

"Ughk! That's _good _news?"

"Is for Blunk. No monsters on earth. Blunk finally live in peace."

"Well… um, good for you. Why are you telling us though?"

"Blunk have housewarming party! Next week, Thursday afternoon. All girls invited. Caleb too of course. Come! Come see Blunk new home!"

"We'll think about it."

"Good. Now Blunk go find other girls. Enjoy rest of date." He ran off into the night…

Cassidy and Miranda were at home, watching an old film. Ever since getting her second lease on life, Cass had become a fiend for collecting the films she had loved in her first incarnation, and when Miranda moved in she quickly turned the younger girl into an aficionado of classic cinema as well. While they watched, Cassidy's cell phone rang. "Roadkill Café, you shake 'em we bake 'em." she answered. "Oh! Yannie! What's up?"

"Are you busy?" Yan Lin asked. "We've got a request from young Will if not."

"We're just watching an old film. What's up?"

"Tell you in a minute. Be right there." Yan Lin hung up. Before Cassidy could push end on her own phone, Yan Lin, Kadma, and Elyon teletransported into the room.

Elyon opened a fold to Meridian. "Everybody through." Yan Lin said. "We'll fill you in on the other side."

Will had asked Susan to invite Dean over. She didn't tell her why, just that it "Has to do with the wedding." When Dean showed up, Susan called Will from her room. "Good, you're here." Will said. She took the heart from around her neck and opened a fold. "After you." she said.

The three passed through the fold and found themselves in Meridian. In fact, they were in the palace. Elyon, Miranda, Yan Lin, Kadma, Cassidy, and Miriabelle were waiting for them. "Will, what's this about?" Susan asked.

Will answered, "Well mom, I got to thinking. I know you can't afford a big lavish wedding. But what if you didn't have to 'afford' it? I mean sure, all the nice big churches and sanctuaries and outdoor venues cost a lot. But they're also places everyone has been married at. But…" She opened a pair of doors, revealing the grand hall. "But how many people can claim to have been married in a genuine royal castle?"

Susan looked into the hall and the grandeur took her breath away. "Here?"

"Here." Elyon said with a smile.

Dean looked at Susan. "We'd still have to go through a judge to make it official and legal on earth. But I think this is an opportunity we'd be foolish to pass up."

"We sure would. Elyon, Will, thank you."

"Then it's settled." Yan Lin said. "Now let's get busy with the plans." The women led Susan off, leaving Dean by himself.


	46. Episode Nine Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nine: "Xanatos" Chapter Five

Sandra was grounded. No leaving home except for school for two weeks. Her home punishment for the fight she tried to start with Miranda. At any rate, it didn't matter. When Judas showed up outside, she snuck out through her bedroom window and joined him.

"Judas mi amore!" she exclaimed.

"Cut the fake accent. It bugs me."

"Oh alright. Though I sound so awesome using it."

"What you wanna do?"

"I don't care. Let's find Uriah, Bess, and Charlotte and just see what happens."

"Sounds good to me."

Meridian. Dean was walking about taking in the sights of Elyon's palace when a fold opened next to him. Before he could react, Blunk popped out. "Oh!" Blunk said. "You Guardian teacher man right? We meet at Will's home before?"

"That's me. Why are you here? Looking for Will or Elyon?"

"Either one good. Blunk have good news for them."

"Well, they're both with Susan and the other women, working on wedding plans."

"Wedding plans? You marry Guardian mother? Happy days indeed. Please excuse Blunk, need to find girls now."

Dean pointed towards the main castle. "They went that way. Listen, before you go looking for them, I don't suppose you could get me back to earth? There's nothing for me to do here, and a wedding-planning party is likely to last for hours." Blunk obliged, opening a fold to the school. After Dean was gone, he went looking for the girls.

Women young and old were gathered on the high balcony of Elyon's private living quarters. Royal maidservants bought forth a wide variety of fine wedding gowns, and the finest tailors were sent for. Through it all, Susan held Will close, amazed at her daughter's love and kindness in helping arrange all this for her.

Then everyone noticed the smell. "There's a passling close by." one of the servants said. "But one that doesn't quite smell as bad as normal."

Everyone knew what that had to mean, and soon enough Blunk appeared, jumping over the outer railing. "Blunk, did you climb the outside wall?" Elyon asked.

"Yes. Mean guards not let Blunk in from inside. Blunk have good news for Queen and Guardian! Had to see you."

"Well, no harm is done. What did you need?"

"Blunk want invite friends to new home. Blunk proud to have-" at this point, he noticed a certain someone in the group. "Aaah! Miranda!" he screamed, and leapt behind a large vase.

Will and Elyon ran over to the vase. "Blunk it's okay!" Will said.

"She's not a threat Blunk. She's a friend now." Elyon added.

Blunk peaked out from behind the vase. Eyed Miranda warily. "No eat Blunk? No eat Mama?"

Miranda walked over and knelt down. "I'm not gonna eat anyone. Truth is, I never would have anyway. It was just a very effective threat to scare you into giving me what I wanted."

"Is true?"

"What was that human expression?" Miranda thought… "Oh, that's right." She said, "Cross my heart."

"Well… Okay. Blunk take chance." He slowly slipped out from behind the vase and joined the girls, telling them about his new home.

Varthan. Aljax bowed before his Queen. He had a plan, an idea just crazy enough to work. He hoped that Neera would also find merit in it. "Rise and speak faithful servant." she said.

"I have a plan my Queen. It occurred to me that if there were some great threat to the entire city of Heatherfield, then all of the Guardian's loved ones would be under threat. We could have soldiers with portable scanners scattered throughout the city, and gain massive amounts of data all at once."

"This is flawed Aljax." Garix said. "The attack would be made with the _intent_ of endangering the families. Therefore any harm to them unawares would violate our rules and destroy us."

"If we were the ones attacking, yes. But that is not what I propose, my Prince."

Neera looked at Aljax with interest. "I am intrigued. What do you intend?"

"Loopholes, my Queen. We were able to safely trick two human thugs into attacking Theresa Cook by exploiting the loophole that they didn't technically work for you. We riled them up and let them do their own thing. Perhaps we could do the same thing on a larger scale. There are any number of powerful entities sleeping dormant on earth. All we need to do is wake one up, point it in the right direction, and get out of it's way."

Garix laughed. "I like this Aljax. I like this very much."

Neera said, "As do I. In order for this to work, though, the entity we select must be of an extreme power level. What we need is something frightfully powerful, something primordially dreadful… Something…" The Dark Queen cackled softly under her breath as an idea came to her. "Something… …_eldritch_…"


	47. Episode Ten Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Author's note: This episode might technically belong in the crossover section. I'm going ahead and including it with the rest of the story anyway. Also, to anyone who thinks this seems suspiciously similar to a particular episode of the old 'Real Ghostbusters' cartoon: you are correct.

Season Three Episode Ten: "The Telemarketing Call of Cthulu" Chapter One

Earth. Far from shore, Queen Neera stood on a platform hovering magically over the tossing waves of the ocean. Garix stood to her right and Aljax to her left. The dark queen was reciting an ancient invocation over and over. After the hundredth repetition, she concentrated, forming a pulsing sphere of dark energy, which she cast into the sea.

Mere moments after the sphere sank beneath the waves, dark clouds filled the skies, and the ocean began to toss and convulse more violently than before. A deep, low sound came from beneath the waves, growing ever louder. Satisfied that she was successful, Neera nodded to Aljax, who held up a transit crystal and opened a fold back to the palace on Varthan.

"Have you succeeded Mother?" Garix asked.

"Yes my son. Soon all of Heatherfield, indeed all of the earth, will be under threat. The Guardians may or may not save their world, but it matters not. We'll get the data we need either way."

Aljax noticed that Garix seemed upset at the thought that the earth might be destroyed, instead of conquered. "The worlds are infinite my Prince." he said. "One more or less world will make no difference in the long run."

"Indeed." Neera said, walking toward the fold, "Now then, that invocation was tiring Aljax. Find me someone to eat…"

Kandrakar. The Oracle awoke from his meditations with a shudder. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong, somewhere on earth. He focused his thoughts, and was able to narrow down the feeling to a specific area of the planet's surface, about a hundred miles offshore from Heatherfield. But when he tried to open a window to see what was happening, he didn't get an image. Instead, words of verse sprang into the air before him.

Reading the words, written in a language so old even he had trouble translating, Himerish realized how bad the danger was. Fearful for all of the earth, he called together the counsel. Decisions had to be made, and quickly…

Earth. Deep in the Heatherfield sewers. Matt, Caleb, Martin, and all of the girls were on their way to Blunk's new home. "Tell me again why we agreed to this?" Cornelia asked.

Will sighed. "Because Blunk is our friend, and if he wants to show off his new house the least we can do is stop by for a few minutes."

"And besides," Irma added, "It's not like we've not gone sewer diving in the past."

"That was different. That was back when we were stuck using portals, and had to go where they were." Cornelia countered. "Look, let's just get this over with, get out, and go take very long showers."

Together, the teens followed Blunk's map until they found his pride and joy: A crudely constructed cardboard structure in a large side room. "I'd knock," Caleb said, "But I think that would demolish the whole thing."

"Just yell." Taranee said. "Blunk, you home?"

The door opened. "Welcome! Blunk happy you show up! Please, please, come in!" Before anyone could respond, a fold opened behind the girls. Rather than sitting static, however, this fold moved forward, collecting all six Guardians. It then closed leaving Blunk, Miranda, and the three boys behind…

Far out to sea, a large and monstrous form broke the surface. The emergence didn't stop, but continued for several minutes as the vast size of the beast became clear. Free of the ocean, the ancient one looked towards the nearest shore. The lights of Heatherfield shone brightly, an irresistible beacon…

Kandrakar. The moving fold dumped it's cargo unceremoniously onto the floor of the counsel chamber and vanished. The Guardians stood and dusted themselves off as Himerish and the other counsel members approached. "Welcome Guardians. I apologize for the unconventional style of fold, but time is of the essence. We have a problem."

"What's wrong Oracle? Is it Neera again?" Elyon asked.

"No, not directly, though she may possibly be responsible for creating the situation. She may be the one who woke him up."

"Woke who up?" Taranee asked

"What's the deal?" Irma echoed.

The Oracle began by telling them of what had happened, how he had woken from his meditations and tried to narrow down the source of the danger. "But when I tried to see for myself, all I was able to get was this." He stepped aside, showing them the ancient script still floating in the air.

"I don't recognize the language." Taranee said. "What does it say?"

Halinoor answered, "It reads, 'That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.' I fear the appearance of these words can mean only one thing."

Luba agreed, "Yes. Cthulu has awoken."

Having no idea what the counsel was talking about, all six girls had confused looks on their faces. "C… thu… whatsis?" Irma asked.

"Cthulu." The Oracle explained. "One of the great old ones. Powerful cosmic horrors which once ruled supreme over a great many worlds. Cthulu himself was once fought, ages ago, by the _first _generation of Guardians. He has slept ever since, at the bottom of the sea."

"Well that's good news." Cornelia said. "If they beat him, so can we, right?"

The counsel members looked pained. "Not necessarily…"

Slowly, ponderously, great Cthulu marched towards the distant city. It's mind was clouded by so many long aeons of sleep, but it was waking up quickly. It's thoughts moved to the last thing it remembered before it's rest began: the strangely empowered human girl, striking out with the power of lightning.

In it's half-asleep stupor, this memory briefly gave Cthulu pause. Perhaps it should avoid humans until it knew the source of the power that had beaten it before. No. No point, human lives were mayfly short compared to it's own. She was long dead by now. And so now it was time to make these creatures cower once more.

"What'dya mean we might not be able to handle this?" Irma shouted. "You just said the first Guardians ever pulled it off!"

Luba answered, "This is true. However… For reasons even we have never understood, that very first generation was more powerful than any which has followed. And even then only one of them was actually able to hurt Cthulu at all."

"Keeper of the Heart." The Oracle said, getting Will's attention, "In the past battle, only Quintessence, or more precisely it's electrical component, was able to do anything. This is likely to be your battle, though with luck our new element, Queen Elyon's light powers, may also be effective."

"So where is this guy now?" Hay Lin asked. "What's he look like, and how big is he?" One five minute answer later, she wished she hadn't asked.


	48. Episode Ten Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Ten: "The Telemarketing Call of Cthulu" Chapter Two

Earth. Blunk's home. Four teens and the passling were trying to decide on how to approach the situation of the Guardians disappearing into the strange moving fold when a new fold appeared and returned them. The three boyfriends ran to their girls, expressing concern.

"It was only Kandrakar in big hurry Matt." Will said.

Caleb said, "Big hurry sounds bad. What's up?"

"What's up is an ancient monster the size of a small mountain heading straight for the city." Elyon said. "And we might not be powerful enough to stop it."

Will stepped back from her boyfriend. "Matt. I'm sorry to do this to you again. I swear you'll actually get in on the fighting someday. But right now, we need a city-wide glamour to hide what's going on."

"I gotcha. But I'll have to gather up the other regents for one that big. I better get moving." Matt transformed into his regent form and flew away.

Martin asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

"Me too." Miranda added. "I want to help."

Irma said, "The best thing you two can do is contact the adults who know the truth, and get them to help you trick the rest of our families into going somewhere safe."

"And where is safe?" said Martin.

Will answered, "Anywhere but here… Guardians Unite!"

After transforming, the Guardians flew away, leaving Martin, Miranda, and Blunk behind. "Blunk no believe this." the passling lamented, "Again, already. Blunk try to get away from monsters. Monsters come here. Blunk hate monsters…" He glanced at Miranda, "No offense."

"For the last time Blunk, I'm not really a… oh forget it. No offense taken. Let's go Martin, you call Yan Lin and Professor Collins, I'll call Will's mother and Irma's dad."

"Right."

High above Heatherfield, the Regents of Earth hovered in a circle, facing each other. "What's the plan Matt?" Napoleon asked. "It sounds like this thing is gonna do a number on the entire city. What can we make people think is really going on?"

"I can only think of one thing that might explain all the damage a monster even bigger than the overgrown Cedric is likely to cause. Follow my lead." The regents focused, and on the ground below Heatherfield's residents began to see dark storm clouds forming above…

Susan was busily working when her phone rang. "Susan Vandom here, how can I help you? Miranda? What's going on, did Will have to 'leave'? There's a _WHAT_ coming this way? You're serious aren't you? Okay, Theresa Cook never met with me like she wanted, I'll call her back and try to get that whole family somewhere safe." Susan hung up. "What am I going to tell them?" she wondered.

"Professor Collins? This is Martin. Listen, Irma asked me to call you, we've got a Guardian emergency. No, it's not Neera this time. Do you think you could come up with some way of distracting my parents, and maybe Cornelia's too, away from the city center? I'm not sure, but I think things are gonna get dangerous there pretty soon."

"Officer Lair? It's Miranda. Are Chris and Irma's mom there with you? Good, we've got big trouble. You need to get them away from the city somehow, and fast. What? No, Irma's fine so far, it's not even here yet. Yeah Martin too, he's right next to me calling Yan Lin. Oh, and can you call the Browns? Okay, be careful."

"Silver Dragon Restaurant! Finest Chinese food in town, what would you like to order? Oh Martin, how are the girls? What? Hang on. Mother, it's for you." Martin heard sounds of the phone being handed over. "This is Yan Lin. Oh, you don't say. Okie-dokie, don't you worry. I'll get my son and daughter-in-law out of here somehow."

The Guardians were flying over downtown, at an altitude just high enough to make them invisible at ground level. All six were watching the direction of the harbor. All at once, what at first looked like a shadow appeared on the horizon. It quickly grew, rising above the horizon line. "Here it comes." Will said.

"I hope our parents are on their way to safety." said Hay Lin.

Irma said, "I'm not too concerned there. Between the two of them Martin and Miranda are sure to get them moving somehow. Will, any idea what kind of glamour the regents are cooking up?"

"None. Whatever it is, I hope they do it soon. I figure we've got about three minutes before someone on the ground sights big ugly." As Will finished speaking, the sky turned dark. High winds were felt, but didn't actually move anything.

"These winds aren't real!" Hay Lin shouted. "They must be a part of the glamour illusion!"

Taranee agreed. "Yeah! I think I know what Matt's up to, and it's brilliant!"

"What's brilliant?" Elyon asked.

Taranee pointed towards the approaching abomination. "That!" she said. As the girls watched, Cthulu's form was masked by the glamour the regents were creating. To anyone on or near the ground, it would now appear that a huge tornado was responsible for the damage. Even the Guardians saw the illusion if they were too far away.

"That's great!" Elyon said. "Not only will it explain whatever damage is done, it'll scare people away as well!"

"Good work Matt." Will thought. She said, "Ladies, let's do this."

Martin and Miranda exited the sewers just in time to see the huge tornado funnel approaching slowly. "Whoa!" Martin exclaimed. "I hope that's not real!"

"It isn't. It's a glamour similar to the one we tried to keep you away from Garix with. Whatever's inside that fake twister is the real danger." She grabbed Martin's hand and pulled. "C'mon, we got the Guardian's families to safety, now you've got to get out of here yourself!"

"And leave you behind? Don't give me that look, I know you planned on trying to help out! You stay, I stay!"

Miranda sighed. "Irma's gonna kill me. Alright, but you stick close and you do as I say."

"Understood. So which way do we go first?"


	49. Episode Ten Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Ten: "The Telemarketing Call of Cthulu" Chapter Three

On it's first good look at the human city, the old one was surprised. Clearly these creatures had managed to grow and advance much further and faster than it would have thought. They probably believed themselves the masters of their planet with capabilities like this. They would soon learn otherwise.

Advancing on the city, Cthulu became aware of a power enveloping it. Someone or something was spinning an illusion. But to what purpose? Before it could think to simply dispel the glamour, it caught sight of the unexpected: Before it, directly in its path, hovered six human females. They were dressed just like the one, so long ago, that had won a battle with the ancient one.

"This time I am the victor." it thought. "This time humanity serves or dies." Shrugging off the last bit of sleepiness, Cthulu surged to the attack…

Close enough now to see through the glamour, the Guardians were horrified at how hideous their opponent was up close. "Seriously, this guy needs some more beauty sleep. Several aeons clearly wasn't enough." Cornelia quipped.

"Forget the beauty sleep." Irma said. "Anyone got Godzilla's cell number?"

Taranee said, "Who needs Godzilla? I've got your heat right here. Fire!" Taranee's flame burst struck Cthulu dead-on, but did no damage. In fact, the giant didn't even seem to notice.

"That's… Not good." Hay Lin said.

"Will, remember what the Oracle told us! You might be the only one that can hurt it!" Elyon shouted.

"Here goes nothing." Will thought. "Quintessence!" Powerful bolts of electricity surged from her hands, arced across the gap, and struck Cthulu on the head. Unlike Taranee's attack, this one was noticed. The great old one lashed out, lightning quick, and struck all six Guardians with it's tentacles. They flew away from the point of impact and struck nearby buildings.

Taranee thought to the others, "At least we know it works on him."

Will held the back of her head, where she had hit a wall. "Yeah, but not well enough. All I did was annoy him, and that was full power. Now what?"

In the city streets below, crowds of civilians fled the apparent tornado, some running away and others ducking down into the subway. News channels broadcast from mobile units, warning people to stay away. As Cthulu advanced, it began striking tall buildings. Glass, stone, and steel fell to the ground where they would be interpreted as storm damage.

The Cook family, driving to a meeting with Susan Vandom in the suburbs, was listening in terror to the reports. "Lionel, we've got to turn back!" Theresa said. "Taranee's still back in the city!"

"I'll turn back as soon as I find a place to do so. Meanwhile you call Susan. Tell her why we can't make it."

Susan answered her phone on the first ring. "Hello? Oh hi Theresa, I… No! No don't turn back! Taranee's safe, she's with Will. I heard from them not two minutes ago. Yeah, they're nowhere near it. Okay, see you in a few minutes then."

Real rain began to fall from the clouds overhead. Matt looked up. "What the? The clouds are just a glamour illusion."

"Not anymore kid." Napoleon answered. "Ever since the world's biggest calamari showed up, real storms have been brewing." Lightning began to flash from cloud to cloud.

"Great. That's just gonna make it even harder on the Guardians."

"Have some faith Matt. Things'll work out."

"I'm glad you're so confident. I-" Matt was interrupted by his ringing phone.

Cornelia dove for the ground. Struck the hard concrete sidewalk with a shout of "Earth!" Huge roots and vines swarmed out of the ground, wrapping about Cthulu's clawed feet. It didn't even pay this any mind, effortlessly snapping them and continuing on it's way. "No go." she thought at the other girls. "Irma, Hay Lin, you're up."

Irma focused her powers downward, drawing an enormous globe of water out of the harbor. She caused it to envelope Cthulu, and lifted both water and monster off the ground. Hay Lin whipped up a miniature cyclone, drawing extremely cold air from the highest parts of the atmosphere, and aiming them squarely at the water ball. It froze in seconds. Irma started to say, "Wasn't so hard." but didn't even get out the first word before the ice ruptured and shattered. Cthulu fell back to the ground and continued on it's way.

Elyon attempted to attack the beast with her own powers. Highly focused pulses of light energy, thrown at the old one's head. Cthulu was momentarily distracted, but unharmed. Taranee tried another fire-based attack, attempting to melt the ground beneath Cthulu and trap it in place. Once again the maneuver was shrugged off as if it were nothing.

Together, the Guardians watched in horror as the monstrosity gave it's full attention to a thirty story building, demolishing it in moments. Lightning began to flash from the clouds toward the ground. Each bolt was drawn to lightning rods atop the skyscrapers. "Lightning." Taranee thought towards Will. "That's what the Oracle said beat this guy last time."

"I'm not strong enough Taranee." Will answered. "Those bolts earlier were the best I could muster. All it did was sting him a little."

All across the city, agents of Neera watched the battle. Of course, they didn't see the truth, just the illusory tornado. It didn't matter. Glamour or no, the portable scanners were collecting data nicely. The Dark Queen would be pleased.

"C'mon Matt, answer your phone." Miranda murmured after the tenth ring. Moments later he did.

"This had better not be a sales pitch, I'm kind of busy." he said.

"It's not. Martin and I are both here, but we can't tell what's really going on."

"What's going on is bad news. Nothing is harming this thing. Even Will's lightning attacks aren't doing much, and I guess that's supposed to be it's weakness."

Martin exclaimed, "Lightning… electricity… Miranda, call Irma! I may have an idea!" Miranda hung up and dialed in Irma's number…

Outside the immediate danger zone, Yan Lin sat at a rest stop bench peeling an orange. "Mother, why are we here?" her son demanded.

"Why not be here? Seriously, you ask some strange questions my son."

"We have a business to run. And why isn't Hay Lin with us? This isn't like you at all mother, dropping everything to run to someplace in the middle of nowhere."

Before Yan Lin could answer, Joan Lin ran over from their car. "I just heard on the news! There's a huge tornado in the center of Heatherfield, at least one tall building has been totally destroyed, who knows how much more damage besides!"

"Hay Lin! She's still in the city!"

"Be calm my son. Hay Lin is fine, and so are we."

"How can you be so sure? How can you know she's okay?"

"I know, my son."

"Well… How long do you plan to stay here then?"

"I'll let you know."


	50. Episode Ten Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Ten: "The Telemarketing Call of Cthulu" Chapter Four

Driving to a meeting with Dean Collins, Harold and Elizabeth Hale listened to the news reports about the disaster in town. _"This is truly incredible. Incredible and terrifying. I'm currently watching the twister from the channel nineteen news chopper, and I've never imagined anything like this! The funnel seems almost alive, moving at random through the city's harbor quarter. The damage is indescribable!"_

A news anchor cut in from the station's studio, _"Would you guess this storm will end up being rated as an F-5 Earl?"_

_"Pat, this thing is so high on the scale, it'd be an F-6 if they went that high! Hear me well listeners, stay away from the Harbor area until this storm dissipates! You'll just be getting yourself killed coming anywhere near here!"_

Harold turned off the radio, hoping to spare his wife and younger daughter any more distress. It was too late. "Daddy, Cornelia's not in danger back there is she?" Lillian asked.

"Of course not. She was going to the zoo with Caleb. That's on the other side of town from where these bad things are happening." Elizabeth grabbed her husband's hand and held tightly. She prayed her elder daughter hadn't had one of her all-to-frequent changes of plan.

Varthan. Aljax watched closely as the data rolled in from all over Heatherfield, transmitting through a purposely left-open fold. "We've got it this time." he thought, "I just know it!"

Behind him, Neera strode up and looked over his shoulder. "Eighty-three percent and still rising. I congratulate you my servant. Your plan is working exquisitely."

"Thank you my Queen."

"Garix!" Neera shouted. The Prince walked out of the shadows and bowed. "Inform the technicians. Soon we will present them with the last of what they need."

"I go to obey."

Irma was busily wishing there really was a Godzilla to sic on their new enemy when she heard the sound of her cell phone ringing. She landed on a nearby rooftop and took the call. "Irma here. Very busy right now. Make this quick."

"I know you're busy. Martin's got some kind of idea. Here he is. Martin, you're on speaker!"

"Irma! Listen, I need to know if Will can control the polarity of her lightning bolts. I've got a plan for you if she can."

"Hang on, I'll find out." Irma sent a thought message to Will, asking Martin's question.

"I don't know" Will answered back. "I've never tried that before."

"Well try it now, we may be onto a plan of some kind."

Together with Dean Collins, the Hales and Tubbs' were watching news footage of the disaster. "This is terrible." Harold said.

"Yes." Elizabeth agreed. "Excuse me, I need to start making call to round up charity money for the victims." She walked a discreet distance away from the other adults. She hadn't lied exactly, she really did intend to gather funds for disaster relief. But first she was calling Cornelia.

Lillian Hale was watching the broadcast with particular interest. She had quickly noticed that, if she turned away then looked back very quickly, she could sometimes catch a glimpse of something else entirely: A terrible nightmare of a monster. She ran to her father and got his attention. "It's really a monster!" she exclaimed.

"Well yes honey, natural disasters like this can seem like monsters, destroying property and-"

"No! That's not what I mean!" She ran back to the television…

Will cleared her mind and concentrated. Negative polarity on an energy blast. Could she even do it, and if so how? An idea came to her mind. She focused the build-up of this new charge on the monster instead of in her hands. Let it build and build until it was a strong as she could make it. Released the charge, which surged off of Cthulu and down into the ground.

"I did it!" she sent back to Irma, "But it didn't hurt him any worse than the positive charge and it was a lot harder."

Irma relayed Will's report to Martin. "…So I guess this plan is a bust too. Sorry."

"Sorry nothing! That's exactly what we needed to hear, it's good news!"

"Say what? Hang on." Irma opened her mind to the entire team. "Listen" she thought to them. Turned her attention back to the phone. "Martin, everyone can hear you through me now. Spill whatever you're thinking."

"Okay, it's like this. If electricity is what you need to beat this monster, then you should take advantage of what's all around you. This is turning into a regular electrical storm. All sorts of lightning. And natural, thunderstorm lightning is insanely powerful. Let's see what happens if one of those bolts hits the mark."

"Small problem there Martin." Cornelia thought to Irma, "He's shorter than some of these towers, and they've all got lightning rods!" Irma passed on the reply.

"It doesn't matter. If Will can build a big enough negative charge on the creature's body, the lightning will find it a more appealing target than the towers, especially if you get rid of those lightning rods."

"Tell him I still can't make this negative charge as strong as a lightning bolt." Will replied.

Before Irma could pass on the message, Taranee said, "That doesn't matter Will. The negative charge won't need to be as strong as the actual lightning. It just needs to be stronger than the charge drawing the lightning to other targets. Martin's onto something here. This could work."

"Then let's try it. I'll start building the charge, the rest of you clear out all the lightning rods you can find."

"Martin, we're gonna try it. Gotta hang up now. Love you babe."

As Miranda pocketed her phone Martin said, "She called me 'babe'."

"Yeah, I heard." Miranda said with a grin. "Now c'mon, we've done all we can, it's time to find shelter." Together they ran for the nearest public building.


	51. Episode Ten Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Ten: "The Telemarketing Call of Cthulu" Chapter Five

Elizabeth Hale was growing frantic. She rushed to her husband's side. "Cornelia isn't answering. I've called her twenty times, it just keeps going to voicemail. Harold what if she changed her plans? What if she's in the middle of _that_?" she pointed to the tornado coverage on the TV.

Harold wrapped his arms around her. "Relax hon. Cornelia's smarter and more capable than we sometimes give her credit for. I'm sure she's okay."

"But why won't she answer?"

"I don't know. Listen, she's with Caleb right? Don't you have his cell number?"

"Of course!" she shouted, and pulled it from contacts…

Cthulu was growing angry. This piddly little human just wouldn't stop. It swatted and roared, yet still she came, blasting away at it with little pinprick stings of energy. This girl was clearly less potent than the one who had beaten it so long ago, yet her determination was the same. It was time to put a stop to this irritant and move on to bigger and more important goals.

Elsewhere, Cornelia, Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin were doing all they could to remove the lightning rods from the skyscrapers in town. It was quick work, measured on a rod by rod basis, but there were so many of them. "Are you guys sure you don't need me helping with that part?" Elyon asked.

"No, please stay with Will in case she needs back up or a quick rescue."

"Alright." As she returned her attention to Will, Elyon saw an enormous tendril streaking towards her friend. She dove in quickly, and cut loose with a blinding flash of light. Unable to see, Cthulu missed its target.

"Thanks El." Will said, then continued working.

When Caleb's phone rang, he knew who it would be before he even answered. "Hello? Oh hi Mrs. Hale. No, we're at the zoo right now." he lied.

"Oh thank God. Caleb, let me talk to her for a minute."

"Uh, she's actually in the ladies' room right now ma'am. Can I have her call you back?"

"No, I'll wait. Even she won't stay in there too long in a public place."

Caleb tried to think of a new excuse, when suddenly the line went dead. A man standing nearby saw Caleb's reaction and checked his own phone. "Mine too. Tornado must've destroyed the tower."

"Heh. Saved by the big ugly monster." Caleb thought.

As the negative charge built ever stronger, and the number of lightning rods fell, bolts began striking ever closer to the old one. Many of them arced right for it, only to veer away to a taller building at the last second. "We're close." Taranee thought to the other Guardians. "Just a little more."

"I don't think I've got a little more Taranee." Will answered.

Elyon said, "She's right. I'm holding her up now, she's exhausted."

Suddenly, a brilliant stream of current split the sky. Arcing down from the clouds, it looked like it would smash into Heatherfield's tallest building. Instead, it changed course and came to ground directly atop Cthulu's head. The ancient abomination roared in pain and anger as the electrical current pulsed throughout it's body. And then it began to melt.

The Guardians cheered as the terrible creature began to vanish. All but Irma, who was too busy laughing. "What's so funny?" Cornelia asked.

"Don't you see what this means?" Irma said, "Martin Tubbs saves the universe. I like the sound of that."

"Me too Irma." Will weakly replied. "That's cool."

Hay Lin said, "I'll fly up and let the regents know they can stop the glamour."

Moments later, the people of Heatherfield witnessed the funnel rise up into the storm clouds. The storm itself would need to run it's course but the real threat was ended. From everywhere around, aid and supplies began to stream in for rebuilding.

Also all across the city, folds opened to collect Neera's soldiers. Their job was complete, and each hoped that it was the scanner he carried which had absorbed the last vital piece of data. Final consolidation would take around an hour though. Until then, they wouldn't even know if they had gotten it all.

Fortunately, only one cell tower was destroyed, so communications were rapidly reestablished. Will called Susan and let her know it was safe to return home. The relieved mother ran to her car, leaving a baffled Theresa Cook with no idea why she had even been called.

After hearing from Caleb, Cornelia called her mother back as well. Elizabeth was so happy to hear her daughter's voice she forgot her tentative plans to ground her for not answering her phone.

Heatherfield's harbor area was devastated. Damage estimates ranged into the billions of dollars, but at least it was an industrial center as opposed to residential or commercial areas. Tornado experts swarmed to the site, only to become confused by the unusual nature of the damage. There would be arguments in the literature for decades.

Susan rushed into the apartment to find all the teens already there. Will was sound asleep in the big recliner. She ran over and knelt down beside her daughter. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine Mrs. V." Irma said. "She just took the brunt of the work on this one, electricity was the only way to hurt it."

"Let her sleep through the night. She'll be fine." Matt advised.

"Right… It is gone right? For good?"

Taranee said, "Oh yeah. There's nothing left but some melted slime."

Varthan. Neera and Garix waited as Aljax anxiously checked the final results. "Well, my servant?" Neera asked.

Aljax was upset. For the first time in weeks he feared the Queen might kill him over bad news. "I'm sorry my Queen. Data Acquisition is at… ninety-nine percent."

"What?" Garix roared. "You missed it again Aljax!"

Neera struck Garix across the chest, sending him flying across the throne room. "You are so often a fool my son." she said. "Aljax' plan has been the most successful to date. So what if it didn't quite succeed? We are still within sight now. The last percentage point can be obtained with ease."

Garix bowed low. "Yes Mother. Forgive me." he said. But what he thought was, "This calls for bold action. I will obtain the remaining data. And I will obtain it _now_…"


	52. Episode Eleven Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eleven: "Fullmetal Alchemy" Chapter One

Varthan. Prince Garix entered the palace armory and looked about. Given his tremendous strength, he had never needed weapons like the common soldiers, so he hadn't ever entered this room. As a result, finding what he needed might not be easy. Especially since he wasn't even after a full weapon but rather just a small component of one.

Fortunately, the room proved to be well organized. He found his prize, one of the new portable scanners. Looking it over, Garix discovered the device was simple enough to use, and even had it's own power supply rather than needing energy from the weapons it was designed to be attached to. "All the better." he thought. "Mother may well have me killed for what I am planning. But it is a needed risk. One percent of the data required is still missing. I will recover it."

Garix pulled an empty ammunition bandolier over his chest, then clipped the scanner to it. Switched on the device's power. Held aloft a transit crystal and opened a fold to earth. "For the Glory of Varthan!" he shouted, then passed through the fold.

Heatherfield. The Hale residence. Cornelia was in her bedroom, trying to study for a history test the next day. "History is sooo yesterday" she mumbled, then laughed at her lame joke. As she read, her little sister ran into the room. Cornelia looked up from her book and said "I'm busy, so whatever you want make it quick."

"Can I tell you something?" Lillian asked. "It's important and no one else will believe me!"

Cornelia put down the book and sat up. "What is it then? Out with it."

"Yesterday, when we were all watching that tornado on TV… Sometimes when I looked at the screen I didn't see the tornado. I saw… …a monster…"

Alarmed, Cornelia said "Really? What did it look like?" Lillian replied with a perfect description of the creature the Guardians had fought the day before. "Um, wow. That sounds scary Lil. But I'm sure you just imagined it."

Lillian threw her arms up in frustration. "Why won't anyone believe me?" she cried, and ran out of the room. Before Cornelia could follow Napoleon walked in.

"Look doll," the cat said, "I'm on board with hiding the truth from Lillian for now. But I really think you should try harder to not get on her bad side like this."

"I know. But what was I gonna do? If I agree it'll make her ask more questions."

Napoleon replied, "That's for you to figure out doll. But if I was you, I'd be putting some long hard thought into it, and soon." The cat left, going to comfort his upset master. Cornelia flopped back on her bed, thinking about what he had said…

Meanwhile, Alchemy and Miranda were leaving the Lighthouse Shelter after a four hour shift. Elyon was waiting for Alchemy outside. "You ready?" she asked.

"Yeah." Alchemy answered. "I've been waiting for this new V.M.J. movie all week! I can't believe it's finally out. Hey Miranda, you wanna come too?"

"Yeah come with us." Elyon agreed.

"Thanks, but it'll be past my probation curfew by the time it's over. And besides, Cassidy is expecting me for classic film night, and you don't ditch that without incurring her wrath."

Alchemy said, "That's too bad. Alright, see you tomorrow then." They parted ways. As Elyon and Alchemy walked, they decided to take a shortcut through a park to reach the theater faster. Walking through the nearly deserted park center, they were watched by a sinister pair of eyes.

Meridian. Elyon's palace. Susan and Will were discussing further wedding arrangements with Miriabelle. "I think we've got just about everything in place now Susan." Elyon's mother said. "We just need a date."

"A date, and someone to perform the ceremony." Susan corrected. "It's not like we can bring a judge or something from earth here. Who usually performs weddings in Meridian anyway?"

Miriabelle thought for a moment before saying, "Well… technically Elyon could do it as the Queen, but I assume you prefer an adult for this… hmmm. I think Kingdom Regents have the legal authority. I'll have to check the law books to be certain."

"If that will work, I'd be more than happy to go that route."

Earth. As the two friends walked through the park, anticipating the film they were going to see, their plans for the night were changed for them. In a sudden rush, Prince Garix appeared before them from behind a row of shrubbery. He was in his human disguise, but Elyon recognized him from their first encounter at the radio convention. "Garix!" she gasped.

"Hello Guardian." Garix said. "You have something I want. Something my Mother wants, actually. And you're going to give it to me, one way or another."

Elyon said to Alchemy, "Run for it! I'll explain later."

"No way! I'm not leaving you alone. Besides look at this guy he's a wimp. We can handle him together."

Garix laughed. "You think your friend is safe in her ignorance. You mistake my intentions. It's you I'm here for your majesty. You, or your 'parents'. They, after all, know the truth. And of course your little friend won't remain ignorant for long, when I force you to defend yourself."

Alchemy looked at Elyon. "Why did he call you 'your majesty'? What's going on?"

"Alchemy, will you please_… RUN_! Now!" She sent an S.O.S. telepathically to the other Guardians.

"No, don't run yet." Garix said. "Stay for the show." And with that he began to change into his true form. His body grew larger, and eight spider legs sprouted from him. Alchemy stared in fascination and fright at the transformation.

"Alchemy. One last time… Get Out Of Here! It's not you he wants!"

"Then that means it's you! I'm not abandoning you Elyon!"

Transformation complete, Garix glanced down to make sure the scanner was still online. Saw that it was. Said, "The time for running is gone!" He leapt at Elyon.

As Garix came at her, the Queen realized that, Alchemy here or not, she had no choice. Alchemy's eyes grew large with astonishment as spheres of white light appeared around both of Elyon's clenched fists. "Light of Meridian!" Elyon exclaimed and fired off both blasts at Garix' lower abdomen. The coherent bursts of light struck home, sending the Prince sprawling backwards. Elyon said, "He's not down for long. C'mon Alchemy, we've got to get out of here before he gets back up."

As she turned to look, though, Elyon saw fear in her friend's eyes. Alchemy was slowly backing away. "W… What are you?" she said in a shaky voice. "Stay away from me!" The girl turned and ran…


	53. Episode Eleven Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eleven: "Fullmetal Alchemy" Chapter Two

Watching Alchemy flee, Elyon's heart sank. Before she could give chase her attention was drawn to the sounds of Garix regaining his footing. She turned to him. "So help me, if you've cost me one of my best friends, you will regret it in every way I can think of."

Garix simply laughed. "You'll lose this friend anyway, when I kill her. Don't stay too attached to your parents either."

The young Queen tried to focus. "He wants you angry." she thought to herself. "He's after negative emotions. Shut it down." But though she tried, she couldn't succeed. Alchemy was vulnerable now. And her parents. How had it escaped her realization that they knew and were therefore acceptable targets to Neera? "C'mon girls… Get here fast…" she thought.

Will and Susan hadn't been back on earth ten minutes when Elyon's distress call came through. "Uh-oh. Mom, Gotta go! Elyon's in trouble!"

"Be careful!" Susan shouted after her daughter, but Will was already gone, having teletransported to the park.

Will arrived at the park and sent out a request for updates. All five of the other girls were also here now. Elyon sent them her location. Moments later, they all converged behind the Queen, facing off against Garix. Will held out the Heart. "Guardians, Unite!"

Alchemy ran in a blind panic for several minutes. As her legs grew tired, she slowed, and with a slower pace she was able to think more clearly. Finally she stopped and leaned against a large tree. "What was that?" she wondered. "That monster was horrible. And Elyon… How did she… What is she?"

The poor girl was now on the verge of tears. She had known Elyon her whole life. Considered her to be her best friend. Still felt that way, in point of fact. Yet clearly Elyon had been hiding something huge from her. "What else don't I know?" she wondered. "I've always been her friend. Was she just putting me on while being someone, maybe something, else?"

Another thought occurred to her. "What am I going to do? Even now I don't really think Elyon would hurt me. But that feeling comes from what I thought I knew about her, and that's not true. What if she comes after me? What if that monster comes after me?"

Alchemy decided that she couldn't go home. Hopefully her parents would be safe from Elyon, if the girl really was a danger, without her there. And surely the monster didn't know where she lived. After resting a few more minutes, she got up and continued to put more distance between herself and the park center.

Varthan. A worried Aljax entered the throne room and bowed. Queen Neera emerged from the darkness in the corners, huge and horrible. "Rise and speak Aljax."

Aljax stood. "My Queen, I think we may have a dangerous situation forming. You recall how upset Prince Garix was yesterday, when we discovered we were still short one percent of the data we need?"

"Yes. I thought I had corrected him."

"As did I, Dark Queen. However, I have just discovered that two hours ago the Prince entered the palace armory and never came back out. When the armory guard investigated, the Prince was nowhere to be found and a portable scanner was missing. I fear Prince Garix may be…" Aljax stopped short of saying it.

"May be doing something stupid." Neera finished the sentence. "You could have said it Aljax. I do not punish subordinates for the truth. Come, let us find him and see what transpires." Neera opened a window to find and observe Garix…

Earth. Garix charged again at Elyon, who blinded him with a sharp pulse of light. Will, still not fully recovered from the previous day's battle with Cthulu, tried to shock him with lightning bolts, but couldn't muster the strength. Cornelia and Taranee tried a combination attack. Cornelia made the ground beneath Garix rise up and entomb him, then before he could break free Taranee melted it. Hay Lin stepped in and rapidly cooled the molten mass, creating a solid sphere of iron.

"Nice work." Irma said. "How long you figure it'll hold him?"

As cracks began to spread in the metal, Taranee said "Not long enough."

With a sound of fracturing metal, the iron sphere shattered from around Garix. He confirmed the scanner was online. Charged Taranee. As Garix made his newest attack run, Elyon had a sudden thought. She didn't know where it came from, it just felt like intuition. She charged up a pair of light energy spheres in each hand, but this time she created them out of phase with each other. With a shout she sent both streams of energy at Garix. When they struck, the results were not what anyone expected. Conflicting energy states collided and interacted. The lows cancelled each other out, but the high points of the patterns reinforced each other. Garix suddenly found himself at the center of an explosion comparable to the power of a small fission bomb, though contained within a small radius.

Thrown backwards, Garix was shocked by what Elyon had pulled off. He chose to retreat and reassess how to proceed. Fortunately, his transit crystal had also survived. He hurriedly returned to Varthan.

Elyon found herself surrounded by the other Guardians, congratulating her and asking just what she had done. "I'm not really sure what I did." she confessed. "It just occurred to me. But that doesn't matter, guys, Alchemy saw Garix. Garix and my powers. She got scared and ran away."

"We've got to find her." Cornelia said.

"Yeah, Garix could be going after her right now." Hay Lin agreed.

Will returned the Guardians to normal. "Split up, and call everyone who knows to help search. We'll meet back at my place in two hours and regroup if we don't have her by then."

Cassidy and Miranda were watching 'Vertigo' when Miranda's phone rang. She took the call, and Cass stopped the film when she saw the look on the younger girl's face. "What's wrong?" she asked when Miranda hung up.

"That was Elyon. Garix showed up, Alchemy saw Elyon use her powers. Now Alchemy's running scared from both of them. Cassidy, I'm sorry, I know it's past curfew for me, but I've got to go… She's my friend…"

"We'll both go. C'mon."


	54. Episode Eleven Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eleven: "Fullmetal Alchemy" Chapter Three

Earth. Heatherfield. For nearly two hours the Guardians and all of their allies, everyone young and old who knew of their secret, combed the park and it's surrounding area, searching for Alchemy. They all knew of the grave danger the young girl was in, which gave the search a sad and sober quality.

Not quite two hours later, Susan Vandom said to her daughter, "Will, we'd better get home if we're going to make that regrouping meeting you scheduled."

"Yeah, let's go… Wait." Will stood for a moment, thinking. "I've got an idea." she opened her cell phone and called Hay Lin. "Do you still have that map we used to use to track portals?"

"Sure, it's safe in my room. Why?"

"Get it on your way to my place. I've got a plan." Will answered.

Hay Lin said, "Okay, see you in a few minutes."

A few short minutes later, everyone was gathered at the Vandom's apartment. In their concern for Alchemy no one, not even Cassidy, noticed one missing member.

Varthan. Garix returned to the armory and removed the destroyed scanner from his person. He walked to the data retrieval system and checked on the progress. It now read ninety-nine point six percent. He would need to make another foray after all, and attack the Alchemy girl. Garix replaced the scanner with a new unit and returned to earth.

Elsewhere in the palace, Neera and Aljax were observing Garix' movements. "Shall I assemble a team to try to stop him my Queen?" Aljax asked.

"Assemble the team for immediate deployment, just in case. Garix will indeed have to be stopped if he goes after the Hales or the Lins. But do not go yet. For now, my son's target is most likely to be Alchemy Ethel or Elyon's parents. There is little risk in those targets."

"Understood, Dark Queen. I go to obey." Aljax bowed, turned, and left on his errand.

Through the park, across busy streets, three full city blocks, Miranda followed Alchemy's scent. It was one of the benefits of being a shapeshifter to possess a sense of smell equal to that of a passling. She had hoped this might come in handy to help her new friends someday, and now the chance was here. After a long run she finally found Alchemy, sitting on a bus stop bench. No one else on foot was in sight.

Alchemy sat alone on the bench. She still didn't know what she should do. She just wanted to know she could trust her friend. As she sat, head bowed, she became aware that someone had sat next to her. "So. You want to talk about it?" Miranda asked.

"Miranda! What are you doing here-" Alchemy realized the implications of Miranda asking that question. Jumped up and took a step back. "You know about this? How?"

"Alchemy, do you trust me? Do you trust Elyon?"

"I thought I did." Alchemy answered. "But now I don't know."

Miranda said, "Fair enough answer. I know you're scared. I really do understand. But you can't keep running. Nothing good will come of it. I figured that out when I turned myself in. Will you at least sit back down? You've got to talk to someone. It might as well be me."

Alchemy sat. "Okay. But I want answers. Miranda, what is going on? What was that big monster, and how did Elyon do that thing with her hands glowing and shooting off energy?"

"I'm gonna give you the condensed version for now. I know you want the whole story, but you're in danger here. So here goes: The country I told you I'm from? It's called Meridian, and it's not a country it's another planet. Elyon and Caleb are also from Meridian."

Alchemy's jaw dropped. "You guys are aliens? Why did the thing call Elyon 'your majesty' then?"

Miranda said, "Aliens may not be exactly the right term, but it's close enough. And Garix called Elyon 'your majesty' because it's true. _Queen_ Elyon is the rightful monarch. She's actually the Queen who saw I was sincere and gave me this probation chance."

"Do you… have the ability to do what Elyon did? And what was this 'Garix' thing anyway?" Alchemy asked.

Miranda said, "I can't do what Elyon did, no. I have my own talents, though I can't show you. For one thing it'd scare you worse than Elyon did and I don't want to see that kind of fear on a friend's face. And besides, the probation rules kind of prohibit it, except in life or death emergencies."

"Okay. I can live with that."

"As for Garix, he's actually Prince Garix, from a planet called Varthan. He's an enemy. And this is why you're in danger: He has rules to follow, but now that you know the truth you're a valid target for him. He'll try to get at Elyon through you."

Alchemy gasped and held a hand to her mouth. "What can we do?"

"Garix only gets one shot. If he tries and fails, you're safe. But for now, we need to get you to some protection." Miranda held out her hand. "Will you come with me?"

"I know I should. But I'm still scared. Dang it, Miranda, I know I can trust you and Elyon. I know I can. But I'm still scared anyway. I…" After a brief pause, Alchemy held out her hand. "Where are we going?"

"Will Vandom's place."

"Why there?"

"You'll see."

Garix searched high and low but could find no sign of the girl. He considered going after Alborn and Miriabelle Brown, but his earlier threat to Queen Elyon had been empty. He knew full well that the latest intelligence placed them back on Meridian carrying out Regent duties. He could attack them there, but it would accomplish nothing without the Guardians present.

Garix sat for several minutes, thinking. In time, a plan came to him. He would be skirting the razor's edge of going beyond what the rules allowed, but he was confident he could stay in the clear with caution. He stood, and reverted back to his human disguise.

Walking to his new objective, Garix made a mental note to thank the project planners for their insistence that everyone memorize the fine details about the families of not just the Guardians themselves, but also their friends. Garix began to whistle to himself as he turned onto the street Alchemy's family called home…


	55. Episode Eleven Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eleven: "Fullmetal Alchemy" Chapter Four

The Vandom residence. Hay Lin spread out a map on the coffee table. "Will, is this the map you told me about? The one you said you used to track portals with?" Susan asked.

"Yeah." Will answered. "The way it worked was, I focused my mind on the question "where can I find an open portal" then held the Heart over the map. If there were any open portals around, the location would show up on the map as a glowing red 'X'."

"What do you have in mind now Will?" Matt asked.

"Maybe the map doesn't just work for portals." she answered. "If I focus on wanting to know where Alchemy is…" Will closed her eyes and held the Heart over the map. After a few moments, a glowing green X appeared.

"Will it worked!" Irma said. "Where is that anyway?"

"Right on top of us." Susan said.

Miranda knocked at the door. "Will? You guys still here? It's Miranda."

Will's voice came from the other side of the door. "It's open, come on in."

As Miranda stepped through the door everyone looked towards her. "Look who I found." she said. Alchemy stepped in behind her.

Paula Ethel was working on her computer when a knock came at the door. She slid away from the desk and walked to the door. "Can I help you?" she asked the scrawny man on the porch.

"Yes. I am Mr. Garix. I have reason to speak with you about your daughter's conduct at school. May I come in?"

"Oh, yes of course. Arthur? We have company, someone from Alchemy's school!"

"I'll be right out dear!"

"Alchemy!" Elyon exclaimed. She ran to embrace her friend but stopped short, not knowing how the girl would react. To the Queen's surprise, Alchemy hugged her.

"I'm sorry I freaked out Elyon. I'm still freaked really, but you're my friend, I should have remembered that."

Tom stepped next to Miranda. "Good work kid. How much did you tell her?" Everyone's eyes turned to the girl, awaiting her answer.

Miranda said. "I gave her the condensed, get-you-to-safety-fast version. Meridian, Varthan, Elyon as Queen, herself in danger now that she knows. I didn't say a word about the Guardians, figured that was your story to tell."

"Guardians." Alchemy said, "The big monster guy called Elyon that too. What does it mean?"

"Have a seat Al," Cornelia said. "You're in for a long, long story."

An hour later, Alchemy had heard all that needed to be told. Cornelia had demonstrated her power by growing a houseplant to double it's original size. It was, of course, a lot to take in, but Alchemy seemed to be handling it fairly well. "So, what do we do now?" she asked. "I can't just spend the rest of my life waiting for a giant monster to grab me."

"No, you can't." Cornelia agreed. "Will, see if your new map trick will lock in on where Garix is at."

"Good idea." Will held the Heart over the map and focused. A black X appeared.

"Where is that?" Hay Lin asked.

Alchemy looked at the map and cried out. "I can tell you exactly where that is. That's my home! That creep is with my family!"

Garix sat in the Ethel's kitchen drinking the tea he had been offered. It was terrible, but he had to keep up appearances until the girl returned. "Mr. Garix, I don't understand why you insist on waiting for Alchemy to get home. Surely we can discuss whatever the trouble is between us adults first." Arthur Ethel said.

"In most cases yes. But there are special circumstances in this case which prevent that. It's no matter, I'm sure she will be home soon. It is a school night after all."

Paula Ethel looked out a front window. "I'm concerned about that myself. She should have been here by now…"

The Guardians and Regents were gathered outside the Ethel home, along with Miranda and Alchemy. "I don't like this." Elyon said.

"None of us do." Irma agreed. "But it's the best plan. We've got to let Garix make a grab at Al or she'll be under threat indefinitely, and her family too. I'm just glad Taranee realized that thing about Neera and Kandrakar from Phobos' story."

"I just wish you guys would let me do this myself." Alchemy said. "it's my family in there."

Cornelia put an arm around Alchemy's shoulders. "I know hon. But Miranda has more experience in fights, she'll be safer than you would." She turned to the shapeshifter. "You ready?"

Miranda looked at Elyon, who nodded her okay. She then changed forms making herself look just like Alchemy. "So? Good likeness don't you think?" she asked.

Alchemy walked all around her friend. "Totally. Why did you think this would scare me more than what Elyon can do?"

Miranda confessed, "I don't usually mimic other people. My old M.O. was big scary animals. And at any rate, you've not seen the cool part yet. It's everyone else's turn now."

Will pulled out the Heart. "Guardians Unite!" Alchemy watched the transformation in awe. "That is awesome!" she exclaimed, then jumped a little as Matt and the earth regents also changed.

"Okay Miranda," Elyon said, "You're up. Nothing heroic. Just try to lure him out away from the Ethels."

"Got it." Miranda said in Alchemy's voice. She turned and ran to the house…


	56. Episode Eleven Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eleven: "Fullmetal Alchemy" Chapter Five

Alchemy watched Miranda enter her family's home. She turned to Elyon and Cornelia. "What happens if she can't get him away from them?" she asked.

Cornelia answered, "She probably won't have any control over it. If he decides to change right in front of them the second he sees her, there's no stopping it."

"Right." Elyon agreed, "But Miranda will pretend to be you, terrified, and run from him. When she does so, he's unlikely to bother with them, since you're the one he wants. I'm sorry Al, I wish I could give you better assurances but I won't lie to you."

"I appreciate that." Alchemy said.

Miranda crept quietly into the Ethel home. She overheard the sounds of Garix and Alchemy's parents talking. "I hope he follows me." she thought.

Disguised as Alchemy, Miranda stepped into the kitchen. "Ahh, here she is at last." Garix said. "You remember me from the park don't you dear Alchemy?" he asked as he stood up.

Arthur and Paula realized when Garix said this that something was wrong, though of course they could never have guessed what. "Park? What are you talking about? Who are you?" Arthur demanded.

"Come and get me!" Miranda shouted, and turned to run. She knew it wasn't going to work though. Even as she turned Garix began to change.

"Who am I? I am Prince Garix of Varthan! And your daughter is my prey!" Paula screamed at the sight of Garix's true form, while Arthur ran for a weapon. Miranda rushed out the door with Garix on her heels. As she crossed the street, Will Irma and Cornelia made their move.

Cornelia ensnared Garix's feet in vines. It wouldn't hold long, but they only needed a couple of seconds. Briefly immobilized, Garix was an easy target for Will and Irma, who soaked him and electrocuted him all at once. Garix broke free just in time to narrowly avoid another one of Elyon's out-of-phase Light Bombs. The Prince suffered a nasty burn to his back from the attack, but the scanner on his chest was undamaged.

Meanwhile, Alchemy and Taranee slipped around the long way and into the house to check on Al's parents. Inside, they found the pair barricaded in the spare bathroom. "Mom, Dad, it's me! Come on out!"

Arthur and Paula cautiously emerged and embraced their daughter. "Alchemy, we thought you were dead!" Paula said.

"What was that thing? How did you get away from it?" Arthur added.

"It's a long story." Alchemy said. "What matters is, there's only one way to get rid of him for good. I need you to trust my friends and go along with the plan. Please."

"This is all very strange." Paula complained.

Alchemy said, 'I know mom. It's new to me too, as in, like, three hours ago. We'll explain it all later."

"All you need to know right now," Taranee said, "Is that the big ugly won't stop coming for you until he's suffered a clear-cut failure to capture you. So we've arranged that failure."

Arthur looked at Taranee. "I'll do anything to keep my wife and daughter safe. Tell me what we need to do."

Garix broke through the line of Guardians preventing him from pursuing 'Alchemy'. Just as planned. While Garix headed for one more slow-down confrontation, this one with the regents of earth, the Guardians moved into position. Alchemy and her parents were flown ahead of Garix's rampage. Elyon opened a fold, and Cornelia hid it behind a wall of soil. The Ethels waited in front of the wall…

Still disguised as Alchemy, Miranda ran past Matt, Napoleon, and Kor. Garix rounded a corner and walked right into them. Matt's energy blast knocked Garix to the ground, while Napoleon and Kor grabbed him from ether side and pulled apart. The two regents were almost strong enough to end Garix right there, but he broke free, knocked Matt aside, and continued after Miranda.

Garix climbed the last hill just behind 'Alchemy' to find her already there. The real Alchemy and her parents as well. "Two of you?" He bellowed.

Miranda returned to herself. "Fooled you!" she taunted.

"_Really_ fooled you." Cornelia added as she dropped the soil wall revealing the fold. Elyon and Will led the Ethyl's through.

"Do you really think a mere fold will protect them from me? I will follow wherever you have taken them!" Garix shouted.

"Oh really?" Cornelia asked. "Even if the other side is, oh, I don't know… Kandrakar?"

With a roar of anger, Garix opened his own fold and returned to Varthan.

Half an hour later, All three members of the Ethel family were back in their home. "Mr. and Mrs. Ethel," Elyon began, "we're going to explain this and help you through it. But you can't tell anyone what you've learned. Lives depend on secrecy."

"What would we tell? Who would believe us if we did? What is this even all this about?" Paula demanded to know.

Susan was walking in as Paula said this. "Where's your coffee?" She asked. "You're gonna need it…"

Varthan. Neera had turned Garix over to the torturers as punishment for his recklessness. Though he could easily kill them all, the Prince stoically took his Mother's prescribed punishment. "Shall I order a new Prince Larvae grown, my Queen?" Aljax asked.

"No. I'm not having Garix killed yet. Foolish though his actions were, they _did _work." Neera looked at the data coil, it's display reading one hundred percent. "Success must be rewarded." she said, "Garix will be allowed to live one last time."

As they conversed, a group of four men in long black and green robes entered the throne room and bowed. Neera ordered them to rise, and presented them with the coil. "How long will you need?" she asked.

"Not long." One of the men answered, "We were able to begin both physical construction and magical intonations with the partial data already collected. Given our current state of completion, the units should be online within the week."

"Hurry." Neera said, and the palace echoed with the sound of her laughter…


	57. Episode Twelve Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twelve: "Acid Test" Chapter One

Earth. Saturday night. The Brown residence. Elyon and her adoptive parents were enjoying something that was rare these days: A normal night at home together, like the ones they had spent together so many times back before the Queen had learned the truth about herself. Elyon, seated in a large overstuffed chair, looked up from her sketchpad to see Alborn and Miriabelle reclined in each other's arms on the sofa. She smiled and just watched for several minutes, until her mother noticed. "Aren't you going to tell us to 'get a room' dear?"

"Nah. It's much too late for that." Elyon said with a laugh.

"Okay. But it's not us you're sketching there is it? I'd hate an image of myself to end up in the royal archives looking as dressed down as I do right now."

"No it's not you. Hay Lin asked me to help her with designing bridesmaid gowns for the wedding. I still can't believe Will turned down that beautiful dress her mom found just because she'd have to be in Guardian mode to wear it."

Just then, the landline phone began ringing. Alborn got up and answered it. He spoke with the person on the other end for several minutes then ended with the words "I'll let Elyon know. I'm sure the girls will all be right there." After hanging up he turned to the Queen. "Elyon, that was Cassidy. Something's happened at her apartment. It looks like Queen Neera sent soldiers there. They took Miranda."

Varthan. Miranda came to laying face down on a hard, dark, vaguely organic surface. The air was hot and stank of something she couldn't quite identify and which she suspected she probably didn't want to identify. As she rose to her feet she held her head. "Oh, what happened?" the girl mumbled to herself. Then she remembered the attack.

Miranda looked around. She saw several objects which she didn't recognize. They were about her height, with heavy black carapaces covering what looked disturbingly similar to large brains. Somehow Miranda suspected these entities were alive and conscious of her presence. These were in fact Neera's Mindquavers, the living tools with which the Dark Queen had previously manipulated Susan Vandom.

Before Miranda could investigate further, Neera herself appeared, walking out of the shadows and approaching the young shapeshifter. The girl, having seen Prince Garix, knew who this had to be. She struck into a defensive posture, but did not change forms. "Queen Neera I presume." She said, "Why am I here?"

At Cassidy's apartment the scene was chaos. Furniture was overturned and destroyed all through the living room, kitchen, and Miranda's bedroom. Everything was soaking wet from the former Water Guardian's attempt to protect her younger charge. Cassidy was sitting on a chair she had righted, head in her hands, when with a flash all six Guardians appeared across the room from her.

Cassidy quickly stood up and ran to them. "Thank God. We've got to hurry, there's no telling what they're doing to her."

Will said, "Don't worry Cass. We're hurrying. Point of fact is the only reason we stopped here first was to collect you. Elyon kinda figured you'd want in on this mission."

"You're darn right I do." Cassidy answered. "I've gotten to care about that girl in the last couple months. There's no way we're losing her now. Get us to Varthan Will."

Taranee said, "Not Varthan yet. We've got a stop to make in Meridian first. It's strategy time. I'll tell you about it on the way."

Will used the Heart to open a fold to Elyon's palace on Meridian. Cassidy, Elyon, and Cornelia went through, while Will and the rest of the Guardians remained on earth to collect Matt and the regents.

Elsewhere in Heatherfield, Judas and Sandra met up with Uriah and the Grumper sisters. "So what are we doing tonight?" Uriah asked.

"You'll see." Judas said. "It's gonna be fun." The group walked to a nearby department store, UberMart. Inside, they spent the first half hour simply wandering about not doing anything of importance. They ended up in the women's accessories area. Courtney Grumper picked out a scarf she liked. "We'll keep watch. Go for it." Judas said.

A confused Uriah asked, "Keep watch for what?" Then he figured it out. Turned to look at Courtney just in time to see her stuffing the scarf into her purse. "Are you guys crazy?" he demanded, "We're gonna go to jail for somethin' like that!"

Judas laughed. "What's the matter Uriah? Chicken? Scared?"

"When it comes to prison, heck yeah. You should be too!"

"Chill dude. For one thing we're minors. It wouldn't be a real prison. Besides we won't get caught. No one saw." With that Judas walked away, and the girls followed.

Uriah ran to catch up. "No one saw, but what about security cameras?"

"What about them?" Sandra replied. "Judas and I scouted the store earlier. There are no cameras pointed at that spot."

Uriah's jaw dropped. "You guys planned this in advance? I gotta admit that's cool. But I'm still worried. We've all got a lot to lose if we did get caught." Bess and Courtney began making clucking noises until Uriah shut up. After a few minutes of silence during which they exited the store and headed west, Uriah finally said "I don't get it Courtney. Why swipe something as minor as that scarf? If you're gonna steal shouldn't you go big?"

"I intend to." She answered. "This was just a warm-up. Pretty soon, I'll have whatever I want. And what I want is everything."

"Wow. That's kind of greedy."

Before Uriah realized what was happening, the instant the 'greedy' line was out of his mouth, an angry Bess had grabbed him and with surprising strength flung him into the wall of the building they were walking past. She was angrier than Uriah had ever seen anyone, angry to a degree totally out of proportion to what he had said. So angry he almost shrieked in fear. "Don't you ever insult my sister again." she spat out at him.

In shock, Uriah could only nod agreement. Bess let him go and he sank to the ground as the other four teens stood over him laughing at how frightened he had been.

Varthan. "Why have you bought me here?" Miranda demanded again.

"My my, such fiery passion." Neera said. "You will do well. I have bought you here to make you an offer. I will bestow upon you a measure of my own power as the Heart of Varthan. You need only serve me."

"Serve you. You mean betray my friends. Forget it. I'm not turning my back on what's right again."

"Why not? You're already a traitor. Look at you, free and helping those who defeated Phobos and Cedric."

Miranda said, "That's different. Those two didn't care about anyone but themselves. They were only ever using me. Elyon and the Guardians are my friends."

"You are such a fool Miranda." Neera said. "Friendship, Love, Hope? They are the lies you always thought. Elyon is just using you, the same as her brother. The same in fact as I will be. I'm not trying to trick you into thinking that no one else cares but I do. I admit to you right here that I don't care one iota about you either. But at least I would give you some power to work with."

"That is not true. You might as well just have me killed, because I am not your servant and I never will be."

At this, the Dark Queen gestured to the Mindquavers scattered about the room. "My creations disagree with you dear. You will serve my purposes…" As Neera spoke this last word, the Mindquavers powered up. They directed their power at Miranda, who fell to the ground, with thoughts of loneliness, despair, and hopelessness bombarding her mind…


	58. Episode Twelve Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twelve: "Acid Test" Chapter Two

Meridian. After Elyon and the other girls arrived, they headed straight to Raythor. The soldier bowed when he saw his Queen. "I am at your service your Majesty." he said, "What do you require of me?"

Elyon said, "Miranda's been kidnapped and taken to Varthan. The Guardians and the Regents of Earth are going to her rescue, but there's a problem. Neera wanted us to be able to easily get into her palace before, so she could spring a trap. This time, I'll bet the place is so heavily guarded that the frontal approach won't work."

Raythor agreed, "Yeah. That sounds like good strategy on Neera's part. What do you have in mind to break through it?"

"That's where you come in. We'll fake the frontal assault rescue we're probably supposed to be dumb enough to try. Meanwhile, what you'll be doing is…" Elyon laid out the rest of the plan.

"This could work. May I suggest an additional member of my party though?"

"Take whoever you think you'll need Raythor." Elyon said. "Also, Cassidy will be with you as well. How quickly can you be ready?"

"Give me ten minutes your Majesty. And then together we'll show Varthan that Meridian is not a place trifled with lightly." Raythor turned and left to prepare.

Varthan. Neera's throne room. Miranda held her head tightly and tried to ignore the Mindquaver voices shouting into her thoughts. It wasn't working. _"Friends are a falsehood." _one said. _"Hope and joy are lies_." stated another. Yet a third shouted "_Yield to despair."_

Miranda knew she couldn't escape outwardly. So she tried to escape in the other direction. She withdrew into her mind, closing off her connections to the outside world. The voices weren't silenced, but at least they were muffled down to whispers. In her mind, Miranda saw herself as being down on her hands and knees. Tears ran down her cheeks. "I can't resist this forever." she thought. "I know they're lying. I know it. But it's worming into my thoughts anyway. I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose and turn and betray my friends. God help me, I don't want to do that. I need help. I NEED HELP!" Moments later, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Earth. Will had collected Matt, Napoleon, and Huggles. Together, the three changed into their regent forms. "Hey doll, I got a question." Napoleon said to Will. "Are you sure Miranda has really changed? How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"Look cat, I understand that that's a fair question from your point of view. You've barely seen Miranda the last couple months. But don't say stuff like that in front of Elyon or Cassidy unless you wanna lose two of those nine lives." Will answered. "Now let's go." Will opened a fold to Varthan and they passed through.

In Varthan, The rest of the Guardians, Cassidy, and Raythor's team were waiting. "Does everyone know the plan?" Elyon asked. There were nods of agreement from all present. "Okay then. Let's go get her back. Good luck everyone."

Within her mind, Miranda looked up to see an image of Elyon standing next to her. It was this image's hand she had felt. "Elyon?…" She started to ask, then remembered where she was. "You're not real."

The Elyon image said "No. But I'm not coming from Neera's little toys either. You're making me. You needed help, and here I am."

"I'm not sure what good you'll do."

"You're doing good right now. Coming here hasn't saved you, but it's bought you time. Time to think. You need to fight this Miranda." Ghost Elyon said.

Miranda replied "I don't know how." She then became aware of yet another presence in her thoughts. As she looked, she saw an image of herself in the spider form she so often fought battles as. This ghost changed until it was in her human form. "You're me?" Miranda asked.

The shade replied, "I'm the old you. The person you used to be. Answer me a question Miranda. Am I what you want to be?"

"God no." the girl whispered. "I like who I've become."

"Then you've got to fight back. Otherwise, I'm exactly what Neera will turn you back into. Me… or worse."

"But I don't know how to fight this thing!" Miranda exclaimed.

The Elyon image knelt down in front of her. "Yes you do Miranda. Oh yes you do. Think about it. How do you fight other things? What defeats darkness? Light. What conquers hate? Love. You put out a fire with water, and you beat fear with courage. What do all of those have in common Miranda?"

"They… They're opposites?"

A ghost of Will now appeared next to Elyon. "Very good. So, if Neera is attacking you with lies, then what is the opposite you use as your weapon?"

"Truth." Miranda realized. "You fight lies with truth."

Suddenly, Miranda found herself surrounded by all of the Guardians, plus Alchemy, Cassidy, Martin, Matt, and even Caleb and Blunk. A whispered thought from a Mindquaver spoke to her "_You have no friends… no friends…no friends_…" it kept on repeating itself. The images of her friends encouraged her to fight back.

Standing, Miranda addressed the voice directly. "Elyon is my friend. Cassidy and Alchemy, The Guardians and their boyfriends… even Blunk!" The voice was silenced.

Soon enough, another lie intruded, whispering "_You are all alone. You have no family."_

"Family is more than blood." Miranda countered. "My friends _are_ my family. I'll never be alone again." Another small victory.

Perhaps sensing that they were being beaten, the Mindquavers became more insistent. _"The Guardians do not really trust you. No one will ever trust you after what you have done in the past." _they chanted at her.

Miranda looked at her friends for help. "I… I don't know how to answer this one!" she said.

The Irma ghost said to her, "When Garix came for Martin, who did I trust to help Caleb get him to safety?"

"And who did we all trust to warn our families when Cthulu attacked the city?" Cornelia's image asked.

"Who was the first person I called," Elyon said, "When Alchemy was in danger?"

Miranda's eyes grew wide. "Me." she said. This truth had been right in front of her all along and she hadn't noticed. "You guys really do trust me." She shouted at the intruding thoughts, "My friends trust me with their lives and their families' lives."

Suddenly there was silence. "I think you've won." shade Caleb said. "Now you've just got to wake up."

Neera stood over Miranda, waiting. It wouldn't be long now. Soon the first of her new servants would be under thrall. And once this first acid test was successful, they would collect the others and brainwash them with the Mindquavers as well. It was all going so smoothly. Then all at once the quavers shut down. "Their work is done." Neera thought. "Miranda is mine."

Coming back awake, Miranda struggled to her knees, then onto her feet. She stood, head bowed. Neera stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's head. "Very good child. You are now mine. And now you will be given the power I promised you. Won't that be wonderful?"

Miranda raised her head and fixed an angry and defiant gave upon the Dark Queen. "No. It won't." she said. "You have failed. Your promises are lies, your power a sham, and your attack on my friends filled with falsehoods. I am not your servant. I am not the hopeless child you wanted. I'll never give you whatever it is you really want out of me, and I will never betray my friends… …My _family_."

Queen Neera roared in anger, and then shouted out "Guards! Attend me!" A group of eight royal guards rushed in. "You refuse to join me?" she asked. "So be it. But I will not give you the quick death you anticipate. Guards, take our foolish friend to the torture masters. They will show her the error of her ways."

The guards led Miranda away, while Neera ruminated on how she could have failed…


	59. Episode Twelve Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twelve: "Acid Test" Chapter Three.

Varthan. The Guardians of Infinity and the Regents of Earth flew headlong toward Queen Neera's palace. They were here for one of their own, and woe betide any who get in their way. The first to make said mistake were a thousand-man strong detachment of the Dark Queen's Praetorian Guard. The soldiers saw the approaching threat and reacted as loyal warriors should, opening fire on the invaders.

Cornelia struck the ground, sending a pulse of earth energy into the midst of the soldiers where it made the very soil and rock rise up and grab hold of them. Nearly a hundred men were immobilized. Meanwhile Hay Lin was drawing a mass of freezing air down from the planet's stratosphere. The subzero temperatures sent unprepared combatants fleeing the battleground in search of shelter.

Just as the battle seemed over, the ground shook as three warrior larvae, the same creatures used to attack Meridian months earlier, rose from the depths. "Is anyone else getting really tired of these things?" Irma asked. Taranee pointed out that this was the first time they had seen any in almost three months. "And yet my statement still stands." Irma told her.

Cornelia shouted to Elyon that maybe she should try the distraction with lights technique that had worked so well on their last trip to Varthan. "Good idea, but I think I'm going to try a more direct approach this time." Elyon said. The Queen then prepared the Light Bomb attack she had first used on Prince Garix. Two streams of light energy, out of phase with each other, collided and merged just above the center larvae. Moments later the grubs were out of the fight, one dead and two running away to hide. Before the Guardians could celebrate however, a terrible shriek arose behind them. They turned to see an enormous insectile creature.

Taranee said, "Remember the first time those grubs attacked Meridian? Caleb said they were just larvae, and there had to be an even worse adult form. I think we've just met it."

"And even worse," Hay Lin added, "It just saw Elyon hurting it's little brothers."

Queen Neera was still occupied with her attempts to determine where she had miscalculated with Miranda when Aljax ran into the throne room and bowed hastily. "Apologies Dark Queen, for my interruption, but the Guardians have arrived. They are currently fighting an adult Warrior just outside the palace walls."

"They arrive at last. Pity we can't welcome them with the intended surprise. How I wanted to see the looks on their faces when the friend they came to save attacked them. Oh well. The torture masters have had their fun for now. Have Miranda moved into a heavily guarded cell."

Aljax bowed and left to complete his orders. Neera called out for Garix. The Prince came to her, his skin still covered in bandages from his recent punishment. "How may I serve you Mother?" he asked.

Neera answered, "You will go to the prison level and assume command of the troops guarding Miranda's cell. Do not allow the Guardians to rescue her my son."

"Your word is my purpose Mother. I go to obey."

"Oh, and Garix? We have what we need. The Guardians do not need to be left alive any longer. So the gloves are off. Kill them if you can."

"They will die by my own hands."

The adult version of the larvae was even more horrible than it's younger kin. It most closely resembled a praying mantis, but was over twenty feet long with razor sharp claws bristling from every joint of it's armor. Two heads sprouted from the body, each equipped with mandibles that could have sheared a man cleanly in half. With a terrible keening sound it launched itself at Elyon.

While the Queen retreated backwards, Cornelia and Hay Lin combined their powers to stir up a dust cloud between Elyon and her pursuer. Unlike the larvae, however, the adult warrior was unfazed by this. It flew right through the swirling dust. Elyon released another Light Bomb attack, but even though the Warrior was at ground zero of the detonation it seemed to have only lost the outer layer of it's armor.

Will and Matt double-teamed the warrior, blasting it full power with Quintessence energy and Matt's eye-beams, which sent it sprawling backwards onto the ground. The monster was down, but not out. Already it was scrambling to its feet. Matt noticed a door in the palace wall, large enough for people but too small for the Warrior. He pointed it out to Will. "Go! We'll keep Mr. bug-ugly busy while you girls get to the prison!"

"Are you sure?" Will asked.

Napoleon answered, "Go for it doll. We regents'll be fine. It's just a big bug after all. Us cats eat bugs for dinner."

Cornelia wrinkled her nose. "Eww. I woulda thought you stopped doing that after you got smarter."

"Focus doll. Go get your friend."

Laying on her side in a cell, Miranda looked out through the bars at the huge number of guards assembled here. Even Garix was present. The Guardians would be coming for her. She knew it. But how could they ever manage to save her with this many enemies to work through? They couldn't.

"Girls, please be careful." she thought. "One of you hurt or killed on my account… that'd be the worst thing of all." Miranda hoped they would see the futility and retreat. There would be other chances in the future. If nothing else even Neera couldn't maintain this degree of vigilance forever…

Flying into the palace, through the wide halls and down the stairs, the Guardians met little resistance. "This is too easy." Taranee commented.

"Way too easy." Irma agreed. "There's no way Neera's just letting us walk in and take Miranda back without a fight."

Will said, "Stay sharp. My money's on the prison area being guards wall-to wall."

Moments later, they reached the prison and discovered that Will had been right. So many guards filled the space that the effect would have been comical if it weren't deadly serious. Garix shouted "Guardians! Welcome to your deaths! Hear me men of Varthan, A Royal Medal to anyone who slays a Guardian!" The soldiers rushed to the attack.

As at the radio convention, Irma squared off with Garix himself, taking advantage of her greater ability to actually hurt him. This time though, Elyon backed her up. Will, Cornelia, and Taranee handled the rank and file soldiers including those riding larvae. As in the plan, Hay Lin started out by assisting them, but as soon as a chance came she slipped away and turned invisible.

Trapped in her cell, Miranda watched the fight while wishing she was able to get loose and help. Of course after the torture masters she didn't feel up to doing anything. She could barely move. Reality rarely stops dreams though, and she wished she could help her friends.

As she watched the battle, Miranda suddenly heard a familiar voice speaking her name. "Hay Lin? Is that you?" she asked.

"Yeah it's me. I'm invisible in front of your cell. Listen, I don't have long to talk but we've got a plan."

"You need to run." Miranda tried to warn her, "You'll never get rid of this many guards. Will's not going to get a chance to take out these bars. Save yourselves, I don't want you hurt on my account."

"Like I said, we've got a plan. Can you move? You need to get away from the back of the cell, as close as possible to the bars."

"I can move that far." Miranda said as she started to ease forward. "What's the idea?"

"You'll see. I better go before Garix notices I'm nowhere in sight. See you soon."

Miranda finished edging to the front of the cell, and wondered just what was going to happen…


	60. Episode Twelve Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twelve: "Acid Test" Chapter Four

Seated in her throne, Neera observed the battle in the palace prison. Something was bothering her. She called to her servant, "Aljax?"

Aljax bowed before his Queen. "I attend your Majesty. What do you require?"

"Something isn't right here." the Dark Queen said. "The Guardians are foolishly noble, and loyal to the point of fault. But they are not stupid. The situation in the prison is untenable for them, they have zero chance of success, yet they still press the battle. Why? Clearly they plan something, but I have not been able to determine what."

Watching the viewing window, hearing Neera's words, Aljax realized his Queen was correct. "Yes. Yes I see what you mean my Queen. I fear however that I am at as much of a loss as yourself."

Outside the palace the Regents of Earth continued to battle the adult Warrior. Kor leapt onto it's back and used a pair of bony spurs as handles keep his grip. He pulled back hard, causing the creature to rear back in frustration. Napoleon jumped up from the ground and struck the insect on the bottom of it's now exposed thorax, a mighty blow that actually cracked the exoskeleton. Roaring in pain and anger, the Warrior threw Kor of and grabbed Napoleon in it's forward arms. It tried to crush him, but Matt fired a beam of energy and knocked the cat loose just in time.

"Thanks Matty-boy." Napoleon said as he stood, "I was almost Bug-Chow."

"Anytime pal." Matt answered. Kor joined them and together they turned to face their opponent once more. Matt eyed the damaged part of the Warrior's armor. "That was an awesome punch dude." he said. "I wonder what would happen if I could get a clean shot directly to that spot now that you've softened it up?"

"Let's find out. Kor, you think the two of us could hold our friend in place long enough for Matt to do that?" Kor nodded. "Then let's do this." Napoleon said. Together they rushed at the giant insect…

Miranda was still watching the fight through the bars of her cell when she heard a sound behind her. This was odd, since she knew there was no one else in the cell with her. She ignored the first sound, but then it repeated louder than before. She turned her head to look, just in time for a third repetition, this one accompanied by a large section of the back cell wall crumbling into a huge gaping hole. From out of the dust-obscured opening came the last person Miranda would have expected: Cassidy.

Cassidy ran into the cell and knelt down next to Miranda. She started fussing over the younger girls wounds, alternately asking if Miranda was okay, cursing Neera's name, and swearing to get even with whoever had did this to her. Miranda managed a slight short laugh. "I'll be okay Cass." she said. "How did you take down that wall?"

"Wasn't me." Cassidy explained. "It was them." As the dust cleared from the hole, Miranda began to discern three forms. After another moment, Raythor, Sandpit, and Gargoyle came into clear view.

Shocked, Miranda couldn't believe her eyes. She blinked several times, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. They were still there. "The Knights of Vengeance?" she asked.

"No luv," said Raythor, "The Knights of Justice."

Miranda smiled weakly. "Cool."

Raythor asked, "Can you walk? We've got to get out of here, and fast."

"No problem." Miranda answered. She tried with all her strength to pull up onto her feet, but only made it halfway before collapsing back down. "Then again…"

"No worries. We've got you." Raythor carefully picked Miranda up and carried her out of the cell. "Let the Guardians know we're clear luv." he said to Cassidy.

Normally, Cassidy was not a part of the Guardian telepathic link. That was reserved for current Guardians. However, just as a former Guardian could tap into her old powers with difficulty by using her own life energy so could she just manage to access the link for a few moments. Focusing her thoughts, Cassidy sent the brief message "Objective secure." She then ran to catch up with Raythor and the others.

As Cassidy caught up, she overheard Miranda asking "So how did you find the right cell anyway? There's gotta be hundreds of them."

Raythor laughed. "Yeah. And about half of them now have nice new holes in the back walls. I hope Neera's got some good contractors…"

When Cassidy's message came through, Cornelia and Hay Lin were busy dealing with the newest batch of arrivals, a group of the larvae riding guards. They were keeping them at by with a wall of swirling sand. Upon hearing the message, Will thought to the others, "That's it ladies. Break and retreat." Cornelia didn't just let the sand go. She sent it flying directly at the larvae, burying them.

"Those things can dig really well." Hay Lin said to her. "That's not gonna keep them busy for long."

"It doesn't have to. We're getting out of here anyway."

The Guardians flew together up through the stairwell and out the door they had entered through. They emerged outdoors just in time to see Kor and Napoleon grabbing the warrior from behind and pull backwards, while Matt fired full strength at it's damaged shell. The shell cracked and buckled and steamed. Will, Taranee, and Elyon added their strength to the attack. Kor and Napoleon jumped clear just in time as the massive attack burned through the warrior's armor and the defeated creature fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Are we good?" Matt asked, "Did the plan work?"

Will smiled, "Perfectly so far. Now let's get out of here. Miranda needs a Meridian doctor to look her over." The teens rendezvoused with Raythor's team and rushed to get far enough from the palace to fold away.

Neera stared at the gaping hole at the back of the cell. "Well. I must give the Guardians credit for ingenuity." she said. "I never thought they would risk others on an attack here. Perhaps we've not given them enough credit."

Bowing deeply, Garix said "Forgive my failure Mother, please."

"I already have my son. I will not blame you for not foreseeing this eventuality when I didn't see it either. Honestly, I'm more angry about the death of an adult warrior than Miranda's escape. Have you any idea how long it's been since the last time someone actually killed an adult version? Ages."

Meridian. Miranda was abed in her old palace bedroom. The royal doctors were looking over her wounds while Queen Elyon and the Guardians looked on. She smiled, touched at the thought of their concern. "Will you guys stop worrying?" she asked. "I'm gonna be fine now that I'm out of that place."

Cassidy said, "That's for the doctors to determine young lady."

Miranda slowly drifted off to sleep while the doctors finished up their treatments. Finally the head physician came over to Elyon and said "Miranda was correct about her wounds. Shapeshifters heal faster than humans anyway. It's a side effect of the rapid metabolism needed for changing forms so quickly. I want her in bed for the next two days, but she's going to recover just fine your Majesty."

While Cassidy and the others breathed out in relief, Elyon thanked the doctors and sent them on their way.


	61. Episode Twelve Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twelve "Acid Test" Chapter Five

Varthan. Queen Neera had been sitting on her throne, unspeaking, unmoving, not so much as blinking an eye, for an entire day. Aljax found the stillness unnerving. He knew she was wrapped up in thought, trying to figure something out that eluded her, but the perfect mannequin frozen posture still seemed off somehow.

Eventually, she moved. Stretched out all of her many legs and said, "Aljax, I have a question for you. And I want the honest truth. Do not lie out of fear."

Aljax swallowed nervously. "I attend, Dark Queen."

"How could I have been so wrong about the shapeshifter? You understand, I have never been the type of ruler who refuses to admit her own failings. I have made mistakes before, and you'll recall I admitted to them. But _never_ have I been _this_ wrong. I was positive Miranda was ripe for despair, only to have her resist the efforts of five Mindquavers. Five! How did she do it Aljax?"

Aljax thought quickly, came up with an answer that he thought might be true, and a way to present it that might not get him killed. "I suspect it was the Guardians my Queen. By showing her friendship, they gave her hope. Hope is of course the opposite of despair, and it is very powerful. Actually, even we can attest to hope's power. Is it not the _hope_ for a larger empire and more power that has led you, O Queen, to initiate our current project?"

Neera replied, "Yes… Thank you Aljax, that does indeed make a great deal of sense. And even better, if you are right then we need not fear failing with the others I have selected. They have no such source of hope…"

Meridian. Miranda came awake gradually, not realizing at first where she was. She opened her eyes and recognized her old room in the palace. From the corner of her eye, she was vaguely aware that someone else was in the room with her. Will Vandom sat in a chair next to Miranda's bed, reading a magazine. "Ugh… What time is it?" Miranda asked.

Will looked over to the bed. "Oh hey! You're awake! It's like one in the afternoon, Monday. You've slept for a day and a half. How do you feel?"

"I hurt in places I didn't know I had. But I'll be okay. Did you say Monday? Shouldn't you still be at school?"

Will laughed. "We all decided that we weren't gonna leave you alone until you woke up okay. So we've been taking turns. I left school early. I'm you know, sick." She faked a cough then laughed. "Seriously though, I'm glad you're gonna be okay. I'm starting to get really sick of our friends getting attacked because of us."

Miranda realized that she hadn't been able to tell the others what had happened while Neera had her. "Will, I need to tell you some stuff. Neera didn't grab me for the same reason as the others."

"What do you mean?"

Pulling herself up into a sitting position, Miranda said "They didn't just throw me in the jail. I was taken to Neera herself. She wanted me to turn on you guys and join her. Said she'd give me some kind of power if I did."

"Whoa. What'dya do?" Will asked.

"Heh. I told her where she could stick her power. That's when she tried to brainwash me with some kind of psychic creatures. And that's where it gets really weird. They didn't try to claim that you guys were bad and Neera was good or anything like that. They did everything they could to bring back the despair I used to feel. They tried to make me believe all the things I used to believe all over again."

"But if she wanted you to join her, why would she do that to you? It doesn't make any sense." Will said.

Miranda answered, "I think it does make sense, just not in any way we understand. Will, on the one hand I think her offer was genuine. She really would have given me some kind of new power if I had given in to her. But on the other hand, even if I had said 'Okay I'll join you', it wouldn't have been enough. It wouldn't have done her any good unless I felt what she wanted me to feel. Whatever this was really about, Neera desperately _needed_ me to feel hopelessness and despair. So long as I didn't, she didn't get what she was after."

Will considered this for a moment before saying "Listen, the doctors say you need one more day in bed. But if you feel up to it then tomorrow after school we'll take you to someone who might be able to help puzzle this out."

"Sounds like a plan. For now, I think I still need more sleep…" Miranda slid back under the covers and was instantly dozing. Will returned to her magazine, and stayed until Taranee came to take over…

Varthan. On a windswept bluff just outside the palace Neera stood, watching as five groups of soldiers lined up in formation. Garix stood by her side, and Aljax was directing the leaders of each group. He turned to the Queen and said "Insertion teams two through five are briefed and ready to go. Team one awaits only the selection of a replacement for Miranda's position."

The Dark Queen handed Aljax a photograph. "Here is my choice for the replacement. She is not as ideal as Miranda would have been, but quite acceptable in spite of this."

Looking at the photo, Aljax said "And also, in a certain sense, appropriate. Excuse me please, your Majesty." He turned and presented the photo and related data to the leader of Team One. After a short briefing, Aljax returned. "All five teams are ready my Queen. They await only your order."

"Them the order is given." Neera said. She then raised her voice so all the soldiers could hear, "Go forth, loyal servants! Do your duty and bring glory to the Heart of Varthan!"

Five Team leaders held up transit crystals. Five folds opened, doorways to earth. Fifty of Queen Neera's best troops shouted in unison, "For the glory of Varthan! Hail Neera, Queen of Darkness!" And then they were gone.

"And so," Neera said, almost to herself, "It begins…"


	62. Episode Thirteen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction

Season Three Episode Thirteen: "The Dark Veil" Chapter One

Heatherfield. Sheffield Institute. The bell rang out announcing the end of last period. Hundreds of happy students flowed out of their classrooms anxious to be going home, to part time jobs, or out with friends. The Guardians and their friends were all walking together. "Are you guys sure you can't come?" Will asked.

"Yeah, sorry. I've got a radio show and I didn't get anything prerecorded." Irma said. Martin indicated he needed to be in the studio as well.

"I'm still playing damage control with Mom since she found out about Cassidy." Taranee said. "So I'd better just head home for once."

"Gotta pull a delivery shift at the Dragon." Hay Lin said.

Cornelia said "Ugh. I've got to get home to babysit Lillian. Our folks are going to some kind of art show. Give my regards to Miranda though. She'll be back in school tomorrow right?"

"Yeah," Elyon said. 'Tomorrow. Will, I guess it's just you and me."

"And what am I then?" Alchemy protested. "She's my friend too."

Elyon blushed slightly. "Oops. Sorry Al, I'm still not used to you knowing about us. You wanna come you're welcome, though it's not just a visit. We've got some 'business' to deal with as well."

"That's cool. Let's go." Alchemy answered.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the campus, Bess Grumper was looking for her sister. Courtney always met her after last period, but she was nowhere to be seen today. Bess's search took over half the campus with no luck. She asked everyone she saw but no one had seen Courtney anywhere. At one point in her search she stepped into her sister's last period classroom. The teacher was still there. "Excuse me, did Courtney leave early?" she asked.

"Very early." The teacher said, "She never showed up for class."

As she walked away, Bess felt the same anger that had led her to lash out at Uriah over the weekend building again. She didn't know why she was so angry lately, but it was really the only thing she felt at all. One more possibility occurred to her. She headed for the school's radio studio.

Meridian, Elyon's palace. A fold opened, and Will Elyon and Alchemy appeared out of it. They walked towards the north wing where they would find Miranda's room. Seeing that it was her first visit, Alchemy can be forgiven for being awestruck. "Elyon… This is actually yours?" she asked.

Elyon answered "See, this is another reason I didn't tell you about myself. When I'm on earth I just want to live a normal teenager's life and knowing stuff like this kind of changes how most people relate to me."

"Yeah, I can see how it would. I promise I'm not gonna be like that."

"If anyone can avoid it it's you." Elyon said with a smile.

In her room, Miranda had cleaned up and dressed. Thankfully Cassidy had bought her some clean options. The clothing she had been wearing when Neera's men kidnapped her would never be wearable again. "It's funny how the simple act of getting cleaned up and together can make you feel so much better." she thought. As she was brushing out her short hair a knock came at the door.

Miranda opened the door to find Will, Elyon, and a very relieved Alchemy, who promptly hugged her tightly while saying "I heard what happened. You're okay right?"

"I'm fine Al. Or at least I'm a lot closer than I was yesterday."

"Up and walking, that's a big improvement." Will said. "You ready?"

"Yeah. But who exactly are we going to see?" Miranda asked. In answer, Will opened a fold and gestured for everyone to go through…

Sheffield Institute Radio Studio. Irma had just introduced a set of three back to back songs and was considering slipping over next to Martin across the room when the door banged open and Bess Grumper stormed in. "Where is my sister?" she demanded.

"Bess, Courtney's not been here. I don't know where she's at." Irma said.

Martin asked "Have you checked with that new guy you've been hanging with? Maybe she's with him and Uriah."

An odd look passed over Bess's face. "Uriah? He's not here either?"

"Nope." Irma said, "And if you see him or your sister tell them we're disappointed. We could've used them for this show, Martin and I are covering the whole thing by ourselves."

Anger flared as Bess decided that her sister and their friends must have gone off without her. She struck out at the closest available target, a rack of spare parts for the equipment. Martin and Irma jumped back in surprise at the impressive force of the blow, which all but destroyed the sturdy wooden rack. Then Bess was gone, storming out angrier than she had arrived.

Irma and Martin looked at each other. "What the heck was that?" they asked in unison.

Will, Elyon, Miranda, and Alchemy emerged from the far end of the fold. Miranda looked around nervously and said, "Kandrakar? Um, Elyon, Will, are you guys sure it's okay for me to be here?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Alchemy asked.

Miranda blushed slightly. "Al, the thing is, the last time I was here… I kind of totally trashed the place."

A woman's voice spoke in response, "Indeed you did." The girls looked to see Halinoor descending a staircase. "However that was the past. The Counsel welcomes the sincerely repentant, regardless of what it is they needed to repent of. I take it you girls are here to see the Oracle."

"Yes ma'am." Will said. "We need to ask him about the possible motives for what Queen Neera was actually after when she had Miranda kidnapped."

Halinoor answered, "I see. Unfortunately the Oracle is currently in the midst of an extended meditation cycle and cannot be disturbed. Might this be something I can assist you with? I'm not as wise as the Oracle I admit, but I'm no slouch either."

"It's worth a try." Miranda said. She began to tell Halinoor about what Neera had said and done during her imprisonment…


	63. Episode Thirteen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Thirteen: "The Dark Veil" Chapter Two

Uriah Dunn ran scared from his pursuers. He still couldn't believe what rotten luck he was having lately. First, he had started finding himself easily frightened by almost everything around. He had controlled this at first, but the last two days, since someone as seemingly harmless as Bess Grumper had turned on him in a fit of rage, all control had been lost. He was barely functioning.

And now there was his current situation. He had just been on his way from last class to the radio studio when out of nowhere these strange men appeared. Something about them was creepy enough that he probably would've turned tail even before his new phobic problem. Now he was running as if the Devil himself were in chase. Actually, Uriah thought to himself, that probably wasn't far off with these guys.

And so, running headlong and more worried about what was behind him than in front of him, he rounded a corner and slammed into someone standing there. "Oh man, I'm glad you're here." he started to say, "There's these big scary guys chasing me-" Uriah trailed off as he looked and saw he had run into another of them. Before he could turn and run again, the man pulled a strange device from his belt and pointed it at him. He never knew what hit him.

Kandrakar. After Miranda had finished retelling her story, Halinoor sat back for a moment, thinking. Finally she said, "I have a suspicion. Tell me Miranda, can you remember the Dark Queen's exact words when she offered you power? The precise wording may be important in confirming or denying what I'm thinking…"

"I think so." Miranda answered. "She said something like… 'I will give you a measure of my power as the Heart of Varthan.' Yeah, that's it."

"Yes, that would fit." Halinoor murmured, almost to herself.

Elyon stepped closer. "What are you thinking Halinoor? I can tell you've got some kind of idea. I can also tell it's really upsetting you. What do you think is going on?"

Sighing deeply, Halinoor answered "I do have an idea, and yes it's not good. But I want to consult with the Oracle upon his awakening, before I say anything. That should be sometime tomorrow morning. Until then, I think you girls should go on home. We'll contact you one way or the other once we know for certain."

As they turned to leave, Alchemy asked "That's it then? I was expecting more."

"She's trying to keep from scaring us." Miranda stated flatly. "Whatever Halinoor suspects, it's so bad she's terrified by it and wants to spare us that fear for now in case she's wrong about it."

"How can you be so sure?" Will asked. "She looked unsettled sure, but not terrified."

"I'm not going by looks. I could smell the fear on her." Miranda replied.

Varthan. A fold opened and retrieval team three returned home from earth. The team's commander deposited Uriah on the ground next to Courtney, then bowed before Neera. "Mission accomplished Dark Queen." he said.

"Well done my servant. You are dismissed." As the soldiers left, Neera turned to Aljax and Garix. "Recovery is going well." she said, "Aljax, return to the palace and prepare the mindquavers. Garix, see to the transference chamber."

Aljax bowed and left on his assignment. Garix also bowed, then said "I go to obey Mother. If I may ask, though, for what purpose do you remain here?"

Watching as men transferred her two captives to gurneys and carried them towards the palace, Neera said "It is time to remove the Counsel's ability to assist the Guardians. This was a part of the plan from the beginning after all. I am standing in the best location to channel the needed power. Stand clear my son, this amount of energy could harm even you."

Garix replied, "I will proceed with my orders." As he left for the palace, Neera closed her eyes and reached deep down within herself, to the core of her power as the Heart of Varthan. She pulled loose a mass of energy, shaped it, and with a mighty roar sent it surging into the space between worlds…

Heatherfield, the Silver Dragon. Blunk was searching through the dumpsters for treasure when Yan Lin came out the back door carrying a small bag of trash. As she went to throw it into the dumpster, she suddenly froze up. Dropped the bag and put both hands to her head. Began to shudder. Even Blunk could tell something was wrong. Looking around to be sure no one else was in the alley, he jumped out and ran to her side. "You okay? Hello? Guardian Grandma okay?" There was no response.

Blunk slipped into the restaurant's basement and crept up the stairs. Opened the door just far enough to see into the kitchen. Luckily, Hay Lin was between deliveries and standing close enough to hear his "pssst!" Blunk led her to Yan Lin.

Upon seeing the condition her grandmother was in, Hay Lin became very frightened. "Granma? Granma? Blunk what happened to her?"

Shrugging, he answered "Blunk not know. One minute fine, next minute like this. Blunk come to find you when he not get answer either."

Hay Lin pulled out her cell and started to dial 9-1-1. Just as she was about to hit 'send' Yan Lin grabbed her hand, stopping the call. "Be calm granddaughter. I am okay. I will admit that was quite a shock though."

"What was quite a shock? What happened to you?" Hay Lin asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. Something happened. I felt something happening somewhere in the infinite worlds. Something very big. Very big… …and very bad."

Hay Lin and Blunk exchanged an uneasy glance at each other.

In the space between worlds, the mass of energy Neera released headed straight for Kandrakar. Upon arriving, however, it did not impact the planet. Instead, it began to spread apart, growing rapidly, enveloping the entire world within it's energies. Slowly, surely, unstoppably, the Dark Veil was born…

Kandrakar. Will opened a fold back to earth and the four girls stepped in. Immediately they knew something was wrong. Folds were instantaneous transportation, yet this time they seemed to be trapped within it's confines. The girls found each other, linked hands. They looked ahead and saw the far end of the fold, the earth end, receding from sight. "What's going on?" A terrified Alchemy asked.

"I don't know. This has never happened before." Will answered her.

Elyon said, "Look ahead! The end on earth is getting further away! I think we better run for it before it's too late!"

And so, working together, they struggled forward towards the exit. It was hard going, as there was a flow of energy, palpable as a strong wind, blowing in the other direction, back towards Kandrakar. They made headway though, and the exit drew closer. At the last minute, the energy flow suddenly reversed itself. The teens were thrown violently towards the exit and emerged into Will's living room with a sudden rush, as if they had been shot out of a cannon. Behind them, the fold closed on it's own.

"What the heck was that?" Miranda asked.

"I have no idea." Will answered. "Are we all okay though?" Everyone nodded in the affirmative. She then said "Here's another question: Why did the fold close on it's own? They're not supposed to do that."

Will used the Heart, and tried to open another fold back to Kandrakar. Nothing happened. Tried twice more with the same results. Elyon said "Let me try." but got the same thing. She looked at the others. "You guys don't suppose…"

"A veil of her very own? Neera's capable of it, surely." Miranda said.

Now starting to freak out a little, Elyon said "Mom and dad are still on Meridian!" She raised a hand and a fold opened.

"That's a relief." Will said. "Guess it was just a quirk."

"No. This fold leads to Meridian." Elyon explained. She opened two more folds. "These two go to Zambala and Varthan." She closed all three folds. "But when I try to open one to Kandrakar…" She waved a hand with no results "…nothing. Neera's put up a veil alright. But one that only contains Kandrakar itself…"


	64. Episode Thirteen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Thirteen: "The Dark Veil" Chapter Three.

After helping her grandmother inside, Hay Lin accessed Taranee's telepathic link and said to the other Guardians, "We may have a problem. Grandma just felt something strange, she think's there's a big problem on the way."

"Elyon and I are way ahead of you Hay Lin." Will answered. "Everyone: Meeting at my place. Now. We've got a problem, and Yan Lin was right: it's huge."

Cornelia replied "I'm stuck at home Will. Little sister babysitting duty, remember? I'll tell Caleb to be there though, and I can listen in through Tara if that's okay with her."

"It's cool, you've got no choice. Irma, you free from the radio show yet?"

"Just closing up now." Irma answered. "We'll be there."

Will turned to her friends and said "They'll be here soon. I just hope someone has some kind of plan…"

Kandrakar. The entire counsel felt the change. As the dark veil fell around their world, they all knew what had happened. Even the Oracle was forcibly awakened from his meditation cycle by the abrupt change in the state of affairs. When everyone was gathered, he said to them "Here it is then. Just as so many of us had foreseen. Now we must determine what is to be done about it."

Luba said, "The Aura Mirrors continue to function normally. Just as they were able to send power to the Guardians across the veil we created, so the power penetrates this one as well."

"Good news." Alfor said. "My tests indicate that this veil is consuming less power than our own did. In fact, based on those power levels I estimate it confines only this one world. No other world is effected."

"Interesting. Halinoor, do you remember your speculations on the fact that a veil would hurt Neera's soldiers more than the Guardians? Here is the way around that. We assumed the dark veil would cover all worlds, as ours did. Now that we know better, the mystery is solved."

Halinoor replied "Yes indeed. As Neera cannot invade here anyway, nothing is lost to her, while the Guardians are deprived of our counsel. And there is more…" She then related Miranda's story to the rest of the counsel, as well as her theory on what it meant.

"I agree with your assessment." the Oracle answered. "What you suspect is indeed what Neera is planning. And now the Guardians will be caught unaware, as we cannot warn them."

Alfor said "At least they'll only have one shot at a surprise. The Guardians are good at what they do. There is an excellent chance they will survive that engagement."

"Agreed. But what shall we do in the meantime?" Luba asked.

The Oracle replied, "What we do is this: As of now all of us are to focus all time and attention on finding a way to penetrate the dark veil. Spare no effort, and ignore no possibilities no matter how unlikely. Explore all routes, until a solution is found."

Earth. Bess Grumper slammed open the front door of her family's home and rushed into the kitchen. "Courtney? Courtney are you here? You're gonna be sorry for leaving me hanging like you did!" she yelled. Bess ran through the kitchen, across the dining room, and into the den where she found both of her parents unconscious. She knelt over her mother, and said "Whoa. What happened here?"

"We happened." a voice said from behind her. Bess stood and turned to see a group of strange men standing in the doorway blocking her only exit.

Burning with anger, she demanded "Who are you? Why did you attack my parents? And where is my sister?"

The leader of the group answered, "I am Carlon, servant of Queen Neera. Your parents will recover unharmed. And as for your sister, we are here to take you to her. Will you come willingly, or do we have to make this difficult?"

"I'll show you difficult." Bess growled. "I've been getting pretty strong lately for some reason. Give me back my sister, or I'll kill you." She rushed to attack the men, but was promptly stunned by Carlon's weapon and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Excellent." the man said. "The Dark Queen will be pleased…"

Having gathered in Will's apartment the Guardians and their allies received the news of their separation from Kandrakar. "Grandma was right." Hay Lin said. "This is very bad news."

"Can't we just use portals like before?" Irma asked.

Elyon shook her head. "Will and I already thought of that. It's no good. Even with the power of the Seal of Phobos inside it, the Heart can't open a portal in this veil."

"That makes sense if you think about it." Matt said. When everyone looked at him he elaborated, "Remember the only reason the old veil even had portals is because it had been in place for like fifteen years and it was showing it's age. This one is brand-new."

Taranee said, "Matt, that's smart. I'm sure you're right. Too bad it doesn't help us, it's not like we can wait fifteen years to get back in contact with the counsel."

"No, we can't. But I'm sure they'll be working on a solution from their side as well. I think we might have to leave this one to them." Will said.

Martin asked, "Hey, your powers are still working, aren't they?"

Will generated a brief spark between her fingers. "Yeah. We're still online. I guess that's something."

"That's a lot." Cornelia thought to them. "At least we can keep fighting back."

Caleb said, "Hey Martin, how does this play into your Xanatos theory?"

"Hard to say. But based on how Neera treated Miranda, and the blocking of communications, I'd say Neera's got what she wanted before. We're into whatever the next phase is now." Everyone looked around at each other, worried…

Elsewhere, Judas and Sandra were sitting on the edge of an isolated pond deep in the forests of the large city park. They were talking, planning their next big caper with Uriah and the Grumper sisters. Then a group of men came walking out of the forest.

Judas stood and faced them, while Sandra hid behind him. "You lookin' to mess with me, you gonna buy yourself trouble." he said. The team leader simply laughed and shot the boy with a stun beam. As Judas lay on the ground, Sandra knelt over him, crying.

The men surrounded them. "Target's the boy." one said, "What do we do with the girl commander?"

"Kill her." the leader answered.

Before the order could be carried out, another group came out of the forest from the opposite direction. "Hold that order." the new team's commander said, "This one is our target." He blasted Sandra, knocking her out.

"It appears our work is complete. Come, let us return with our prizes for the Queen." Together, the Soldiers of Varthan returned home with their captives…


	65. Episode Thirteen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Thirteen: "The Dark Veil" Chapter Four

Sheffield Institute. Early morning. Irma and Martin were on their way to the radio studio when Principal Nickelbocker stopped them in the hallway. "Irma, a moment please." she said.

"Sure, what's up?" Irma asked.

"I need you to make a special announcement as soon as you get on the air. When the first bell rings, everyone is to proceed to the auditorium. And I do mean everyone, there's not going to be a normal first period today. We have a very important issue to cover with the entire student body." the principal told them.

Irma and Martin could both tell that the woman was very upset. Whatever the problem was, it had her totally rattled. "Is something wrong ma'am?" Martin asked.

"Yes. Yes young man, something is very, very wrong. I don't want to have to cover it twice though, so you'll find out along with everyone else. For now, just pass along the message and be in the auditorium yourselves." Nickelbocker turned and hurried away.

"This is worrying." Martin said. "I've never seen her that distressed."

"Yeah. C'mon, let's get to work."

Varthan. Uriah was the first to wake up. He looked around at his strange surroundings, a dark chamber, the corners hidden in shadows. He also saw Judas, Sandra, and Bess and Courtney Grumper passed out on the floor around him. Fighting panic, he worked to wake them up. Before long, everyone was conscious. "What's going on?" Uriah asked, "Where the heck are we?"

"How should I know?" Courtney answered. "All I remember is walking on my way to my last period class when I heard a strange sound from an empty room. I went to see what it was and these strange guys shot me with a Taser or something."

"Same here. They started chasing me, I ran, turned a corner right into one of them. What about you guys?" Uriah said.

Bess said "When I couldn't find Court I went looking for her at home. Those same guys had knocked out mom and dad, did the same thing to me."

"They got us at the park." Judas said.

"Okay… But who's got us? And why? What's going on here?" Uriah asked.

Standing, Judas said "It's time we found out." He shouted out "Alright! Who's out there? What's this all about?"

From out of the shadows came a female voice, "This is about power. Power and conquest and wealth beyond measure. You are here because I would make you an offer. An offer you literally will not be able to refuse…"

"We'll be the judges of what we can and can't refuse! Who are you? Show yourself!" Bess demanded.

"Oh, no child. I am indeed the judge of that. I am Neera, Queen of Varthan. I am the one to whom you will now pledge allegiance. And if you wish for me to show myself… …very well…" Neera strode forth from the shadows, and Uriah began to scream in terror. For once he wasn't alone…

Sheffield. The entire student body was assembled as ordered. The Guardians and their friends were seated together near the front. "Any idea what this is about Irma?" Cornelia asked.

"None. Nickelbocker wouldn't tell Martin and me anything."

"It must be pretty big if she wouldn't let you just tell us over the air." Cornelia mused. "I wonder what's up?"

"Whatever it is, she was really upset about it." Martin said.

Will said, "Well here she comes. And… whoa… Aren't those the two cops that were investigating Elyon's 'disappearance' awhile back?"

"That's them alright." Miranda said.

"If the police are in on this it's gotta be really serious." Hay Lin noted.

Principal Nickelbocker stepped to the podium and addressed her students. "Good morning. I need all of you to listen carefully, because we have a serious problem to deal with. This morning, I was notified by the Heatherfield Police Department that the parents of five of our students have reported them missing." A subtle gasp went through the assembled students. The principal continued, "Uriah Dunn, Sandra Oswald, Judas Ananias, and both Bess and Courtney Grumper are officially missing. I'll turn this over to the detectives now."

"Guys, does this sound way too familiar to all of you?" Will thought.

"Totally." Cornelia responded. "Here we go again."

"One way or another, Heart of a world or not, I'm getting real keen on the idea of shutting Neera down for good." Elyon answered.

On the stage, the first detective stepped to the podium and said "We believe that your classmates have been kidnapped, as opposed to simply running away. Given their friendship, we would normally suspect runaway as the explanation, however the Grumper sister's parents were assaulted and knocked unconscious in their home by the kidnappers. If anyone here has any information for us, please come see me or my partner after this assembly is over."

The detective then gave the description of the attackers he had received from the Grumper's parents. The girls recognized it as the uniform Neera's soldiers wore. After warning the teens to avoid and immediately report anyone matching the description, he turned the podium back over to the principal, who dismissed them.

The Guardians gathered together just outside the auditorium. "Is this ever gonna stop?" Taranee asked.

"Only if we make it stop." Will answered. "We've got to take the fight to Neera one way or another."

"Will she's a heart." Matt said. "A fully powered heart with a huge army. We can't just barge in and fight her straight up. You've seen the trouble we have with just her soldiers."

Elyon said "But we can't just leave them there. We've got to rescue them."

"Of course we do. But we need to plan this out. Both times we've gone to Varthan we've barely gotten back out alive. A good strategy will help that. In the meantime, it's unlikely Neera will actually hurt them too badly. Remember, if she took them she needs them." Caleb said.

"She hurt Miranda." Will pointed out.

Miranda said "Yeah, but only after I beat her at her own game. And I only did that because of you guys. I kinda doubt these guys will have what it takes, they don't have anyone to help them."

Just then Irma's phone buzzed. She looked to see a text message from her father: "Call me ASAP" it read.

Irma called back. "Hey Pops what's up? Yeah, we just heard. They wanna what? Yeah, I guess that does make sense. Okay, thanks for the heads-up." Hanging up she looked to her friends. "Dad says they're gonna want to talk to me. They recognized the similarity to his description of the men who attacked him and the Grumper's attackers."

"What are you gonna do?" Will asked.

"Go get it over with." Irma answered. "Stay in my head guys, I might need some quick answers…"


	66. Episode Thirteen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Thirteen: "The Dark Veil" Chapter Five

Varthan. Neera sat upon her throne, looking down at her new servants to be. They were lined up on the ground, unconscious, as the mindquavers worked on their thoughts. Each was receiving implanted feelings and ideas based on the power chosen for them to wield. "It won't be long now Aljax." she said to her servant.

"No my Queen. And once the mindquavers have finished their work?"

"Then they will pledge loyalty to Varthan. Following this, we will grant them the promised power. Are the Dark Aura Mirrors online?"

Aljax answered "Yes my Queen. Online and functioning at one hundred percent. There were some difficulties tuning them to the changes you wished made from the standard Guardians model. But all is now ready. We are confident in a positive result."

"Excellent." Neera said. "Now, look. They awaken…"

Earth. Sheffield Institute. Nickelbocker's office. Irma sat in a chair while the two police detectives stood over her. "Just tell us what you know kid. It'll go easier that way."

"I don't know anything!" Irma exclaimed. "Why do you think I do? I mean sure I knew all five missing kids, we go to school here together. But by that logic shouldn't you be interrogating everyone at Sheffield?"

The female detective leaned in. "This is about more than Sheffield and you know it. Those kidnappers match the description of the guys who nabbed your father a while back."

"What'dya think guys?" Irma thought. The consensus came back: play dumb. "They do? Oh wow, you're right. I hadn't even noticed." she said.

The detectives looked at each other, then back to Irma. "Something's rotten in Denmark." one said. "I'm not buying this for a minute Lair. Still, we can't prove anything either. You're free to go for now, but I'm watching you." He made the 'I'm watching you' hand motion as he said it.

Free, Irma realized she had been with the detectives longer than she thought. It was already lunchtime. She rushed to find her friends.

At lunch, Irma related the story for the benefit of those who were not a part of the Guardian's telepathic link. "Yeesh Irma, you're gonna have to be extra careful now." Martin said. "It sounds like he was serious about keeping a close watch on you."

"Yeah. It's nothing we can't handle though." Irma replied.

Elyon said "Will, you're being awfully quiet. What's on your mind?"

"Have you guys thought through the implications of this?" Will asked. "No matter what we do, five people with no reason to keep their mouths shut are gonna find out the truth about us now."

"Not necessarily." Cornelia said. "We really do look a lot different as Guardians. Maybe there's some way to disguise ourselves a little further when we go after them, so they won't recognize us at all."

"That's not a bad idea Corny." Irma said.

Taranee said, "Of course it's moot if Neera just tells them. Which she might. Who knows what she's really after here?"

"Way to bring the mood down Tara." Matt said.

"Omigosh, what if they do find out though? What if they tell everyone?" Hay Lin asked.

"Exactly my point." Will agreed.

Miranda asked, "Would it really be all that bad? I mean, everyone in Meridian knows who you are, it hasn't hurt you there any."

Cornelia said "That's different. It wouldn't hurt our work as Guardians, maybe… But we want our normal lives here. There's no way to have that if people know."

Varthan. After they had all woken up, Neera spoke to her new charges. "Uriah, you feel trapped in fear. Yet you need not be trapped. Learn to use your fear and it will become a great weapon. You will cause fear instead of feeling it."

Uriah grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"I knew you would. Bess Grumper, you are filled with rage. Turn it upon my enemies, and let them burn in torment. Courtney, you want everything for yourself. Your greed and avarice are noble qualities in my eyes. Use them. All that you want can be yours, except of course for that which belongs to me." The sisters exchanged a glance, then agreed to serve.

"Judas Ananias. You do not know of love, preferring the path of hatred. Yoke this strength to bring down death and destruction among my foes. Yours is the greatest power I offer. Wield it well."

Judas made a fist with one hand and punched it into his other hand. "Just tell me who I get to hurt first."

"Soon child, soon." Neera said. "Sandra. You may not have been my first choice for your position, but you will excel nonetheless. Your heart is filled to the brim with despair. You do not know the power of hope. Therefore, you will serve me as she would not."

"As you wish Dark Queen."

Neera smiled. "Excellent. Do you, then, swear allegiance to me as your Queen?" All five teens swore the oath to serve Neera. "Good. Very good. Now follow me, I will take you to the source of the powers I will grant unto you…"

On Meridian, Susan and Dean were going over the final plans for their wedding. The rehearsal was set for one week hence, and Hay Lin swore she would have all the girl's dresses ready in time despite the latest problems. Meanwhile Tom had joined the Guardians and Raythor in trying to plan strategies for a rescue mission to Varthan.

"The plan last time was good your Highness," Raythor was saying to Elyon, "We just need to build on it."

Elyon agreed, "For the rescue yes. But that's not enough, we've got to deal with Neera herself on a permanent basis. We can't allow this to continue."

"No we can't." Taranee agreed. "You know it's too bad you don't still have your full power El. You could turn the tables and put a veil around Varthan if you did."

"That would be appropriate." Will said.

Tom asked, "Question: Every world has one of these hearts, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Irma said. "What are you thinking Pops?"

"Just this. If Elyon can't contain Neera with a veil, couldn't another Heart be used to do it instead?"

Matt said "The counsel could probably do it with the Heart of Kandrakar, but we'd need to break them free first."

There was silence as everyone was busy thinking for the next few moments. Then, all at once, all six Guardians exclaimed "Zambala!"

"Zam… what?" Alchemy asked.

Cornelia explained, "Zambala. It's another planet we've been to. We know who is holding the Heart there, and he kind of owes us a favor for saving his world from Nerissia, not to mention that Neera is as big a threat to Zambala as she is to earth."

"With any luck, we can talk the Zambalans into using their world's heart to contain Varthan for us." Will said. "If they agree, we just go free our classmates, and then seal Neera off for good."

Varthan. Neera and the five teens stood in a large chamber, before a set of five floating orbs. "Observe children." Neera said. "These are the Dark Aura Mirrors. There is one for each of you. They borrow power from me, power from the Heart of Varthan, and transfer it to you. Or will. You need only touch them to complete the process."

"And what powers will each of us get?" Judas asked.

"You will see. For now, all that matters is that you are now my servants… my Champions of Varthan… My _Dominators_…."

Author's Note: Wow. Here we are at the halfway point of the story. What's going to happen next? How does this plan help Neera when her armies are already so powerful? And has Neera succeeded, or made a grave error in judgment? The answers are coming soon, so stay tuned! (Any and all reviews are welcomed, as they help me make future chapters even better. So please continue to let me know what you think.)


	67. Episode Fourteen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fourteen: "Dominators, UNITE!" Chapter One

Varthan. Neera stood before her newly appointed Dominators. She held out a crystal necklace and offered it to Judas. "With this crystal, you will be able to call upon your full powers. You need only hold it out and say the words 'Dominators Unite.' Then each of you in range will become even stronger than you are as humans."

Putting on the necklace, Judas said "Sweet. So, who do we get to hurt first? I'm itching to put this new power to the test."

"We all are." Bess said. "Let us attack someone Dark Queen."

Neera thought for a moment, then said "I have no specific target for you quite yet. Still, you do need to practice with your powers if you are to become competent with them… I'll tell you what, I give you leave to do some damage on a world we'll be attacking soon anyway. But beware my servants: Your opposite number, the Guardians, may try to stop you."

"Let 'em come! We'll handle it no problem. After all, you said our power is equal to theirs, right?" Uriah said.

Neera answered "Your power is equal, but they have the greater experience. They also have allies you will lack. Have your fun, but do not become overconfident."

"Fair enough advice." Courtney said. "So what's the world we're going to?"

"A disgustingly charming and simple place called… …Meridian." Neera replied. "Aljax, show Judas how to operate the crystal's fold-opening ability."

"As you wish Dark Queen." Aljax said. "Come along, we'll need to be beyond the palace walls for this to work."

Earth. Kadma welcomed the Guardians into her new home. "We hope you girls can excuse the mess. All of our belongings were in storage while we were ruling over Zambala. We're still not finished cleaning it all." She paused when she noticed the way they were looking at her. "What?"

"You're still using the royal 'We' of yourself." Cornelia said as everyone else giggled.

"It was the proper language for us… …me" -more giggling- "For nearly thirty years. Old habits die hard. So what can… I… do for you girls today?"

Elyon answered "We need to go to Zambala and speak with Ironwood. It's our hope that the Zambalans will agree to use some of the Heart of Zambala's power to create a Veil around Varthan, sealing in Queen Neera and her armies."

"That's an ambitious plan girls. Are you sure it's the right thing to do? After all it won't really solve anything. It'll just delay the inevitable. Veils don't last forever you know."

"We know Kadma." Taranee said. "But it's really the best idea for now, especially with Kandrakar cut off from us."

A look of shock crossed Kadma's face. "Kandrakar cut off?"

"Omigosh no one told you? Neera put a veil around it. Our power still gets to us through it but nothing else can." Hay Lin said.

Kadma shook her head sadly. 'I see. Under those circumstances we agree with you. We assume you wish for us to go with you?"

"You know Ironwood better than us. You're more likely to be listened to." Will said.

"Yes, of course. Let's go then."

Meridian. Blunk was trying to sell his latest acquisitions from earth, including empty plastic coffee cans, a broken stethoscope, and a huge pile of (thankfully unused) pet waste bags in the streets of a small town several miles from the palace. He was just starting to get some interested customers when he heard the sounds of an approaching commotion.

Aldarn was rushing from person to person in the crowd, asking each "Is the passling that helps the Guardians here? I heard he was in town, where is he? It's urgent!"

Blunk jumped onto the top of a hay cart. Waved and shouted "Here! Over here Caleb friend, Blunk here!" When Aldarn reached him, Blunk asked "Something wrong? Please tell Blunk it not monsters again."

"Not exactly monsters, but it's bad. We need Queen Elyon and the Guardians."

"Blunk go right now!" the passling said. He opened a fold and jumped through. After a moment he returned and asked "Uh… Where Guardians need to come to?"

"Torus Filney." Aldarn answered. "The threat will have moved on by the time they arrive, but they'll be able to follow the path of destruction from there." Blunk returned through the fold to earth.

Zambala. Kadma and the Guardians found Ironwood at the temple. The reception was cordial, but it was clear the sentient tree really didn't want them on it's world. "Why have you returned?" Ironwood asked. "I accept that it was you who saved our world from Nerissia, but it was also for you that she came here in the first place."

Kadma said, "Ironwood, this is Elyon, the Queen of Meridian and also the heart of her world. She has come, in her official capacity, to speak with you ruler to ruler."

"Very well. I will receive you young Queen. What purpose do you have in coming before me this day?"

"I am here for two reasons Ironwood." Elyon said. "The first is simply to bring you warning of a new threat. The Queen of Varthan seems to have decided to expand her empire. All of our worlds are in danger from her. At the least you need to be prepared for this eventuality."

"Yes," Ironwood mused, "I have heard of Varthan and it's terrible queen. We will prepare for a possible invasion as you advise. However, you say this is the least we can do, which implies you wish for us to do more. State your request."

"What I am about to ask I would do myself, but for the fact that most of my own power is still being used to imprison Nerissia. We would like for you to use the Heart of Zambala to create a veil to contain Varthan."

"Interesting. But impossible. I have not held the Heart for long. I would not know how to do this with it's power." Ironwood answered.

"Kadma could teach you." Irma said.

"No, this is something I never learned either, it never came up." Kadma said.

Ironwood said, "I will attempt to plumb the secrets of the Heart's power. Perhaps I will learn what is needed to create a veil. If I do, I will proceed."

"That sounds good. But please don't go ahead with it without letting us know first. Neera's got a bad habit of kidnapping people we know, we'll want to get anyone out before the veil goes up." Will said.

Before Ironwood could answer, a fold opened…


	68. Episode Fourteen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fourteen: "Dominators, UNITE!" Chapter Two

Zambala. The Guardians and their friends stared at the newly opened fold. They were all expecting an attack from Varthan. The girls spread out and charged up their powers for a fight. Will removed the Heart from her neck, ready to power up the Guardians, while Ironwood readied itself to wield the Heart of Zambala in defense of it's world. All these preparations proved unnecessary when the fold delivered its passengers: Blunk, Matt, Caleb, and Miranda.

Everyone breathed out a sigh of relief as the Passling ran to them shouting "Guardians! Aldarn send Blunk for you, trouble at Torus Filney!" He collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

"How'd you find us here?" Will asked him.

"That'd be us." Matt answered. "When he couldn't find you he came to Cassidy's place. Caleb and I were there doing some repair work from when Neera had Miranda kidnapped. Good thing you told us where you'd be."

Elyon knelt down next to Blunk. "So what is it this time?" she asked him.

"Blunk not know. Aldarn said trouble at Torus Filney, not monsters but still bad. He say the danger would be gone from there by the time you arrive, but you be able to follow the damage to it."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Irma asked. "Let's get going."

"One moment first." Elyon turned to Ironwood. "My apologies for the abrupt departure. I will return when this is over, if you are willing to receive me again."

The tree answered, "No apologies are needed. Your devotion to the welfare of your world shows us that you are worthy of our respect. Feel free to return when you are able to do so."

"Thank you Ironwood." Elyon said. She turned and opened a fold to Meridian…

Meridian. Torus Filney. The entire town lay in smoking ruins. Buildings were shattered, domestic animals ran free of destroyed enclosures, piles of hay smoldered. The citizens emerged from hiding upon sighting their Queen. "Queen Elyon! The Guardians! Thank God!" they uttered, along with many similar sentiments. Aldarn ran to Caleb, who asked him what had happened.

"It was terrible." Aldarn replied. "Five humans, teenagers about our age. They had powers similar to the Guardians, but different in a way I can't quite describe. They went on a rampage destroying everything in sight, hurting innocent people. We tried to defend ourselves but to no avail. They just… …laughed at us."

All six Guardians exchanged a worried glance. "Five kids our age?" Cornelia said.

Hay Lin added, "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Neera offered Miranda power when she had her." Taranee said, "Is it possible she's done the same with Uriah and the others?"

"This just keeps getting worse. But we've got to go after them." Will said.

Matt put a hand on Will's shoulder. "Let me scout ahead. I change into my regent form, they won't recognize me if it is who we think." He then transformed and flew off.

Cornelia said, "Matt's got the right idea, but it's not going to do any good. Even if it is them, we can't not fight them." She motioned around at the ruined town. "We can't allow this to go on just to hide our identities."

"No, we can't." Elyon agreed.

Matt flew on, following the unmistakable trail left by the attackers. He found them in less than a minute, three miles outside town. They were laying siege to a small farm house, who's terrified owners were holed up inside. He recognized them immediately as his missing classmates. Ready to turn around a fly back to the girls, he saw the huge mass of power Judas was charging up to throw at the house. No one inside would survive it.

"Wow dude, that's a lot of power!" Uriah complemented his teammate.

"You think this is sweet," Judas said, "Watch what it does!"

Before Judas could launch the attack, A tall, powerful man with black wings and a gold mask swooped down from above and landed between him and his target. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." the man said. "Meridian has some powerful protectors, and you'll just make them angry this way. Why don't you back off and let us help you? You don't have to do what Queen Neera tells you to."

Bess stepped forward and shook her fist in Matt's face. "Well duh. We know we don't have to obey. We choose to."

"But why?"

Sandra wrapped her arms around Judas' waist, keeping clear of the energy mass he was still holding. "Why not? Nothing matters, so we might as well have some fun."

"Fun at the expense of innocent people?" Matt asked. "I'm warning you, the Guardians won't go easy on you, and neither will Queen… …the Queen."

"Spoiling for a fight?" Judas asked. "Okay, let's have it then!" He unleashed his massed attack, slamming Matt with a powerful force that send him flying high into the air, uncontrolled, back in the direction he came from.

"Do we follow?" Courtney asked.

"Oh yeah, we follow." The Dominators gave chase…

Will was starting to worry about what was keeping Matt when he came crashing down from the sky, almost at her feet. "Matt!" she exclaimed, kneeling down next to him.

"Hey babe."

"Are you okay? What happened?" Will asked.

As the others gathered round, Matt sat up and said "Found our troublemakers. And I've got bad news, it's like you thought. Judas, Sandra, Uriah, Bess, Courtney. Judas was the one who did that to me. Whatever power Neera's given them, it's Guardian/ Regent level intense." Worried looks passed through the group.

"Now what do we do?" Cornelia asked.

"Same thing you had to do when I was Shagon." Matt answered.

Taranee said, "He's right. We can't hold back just because we know them. It won't help. In fact it'll probably make things worse in the long run."

"We've got to at least try to reason with them." Hay Lin said. When she saw the looks she was getting, she added "Okay okay. It won't work. We all know it won't work. That doesn't mean we can't try."

"Then get ready to try." Caleb said. "Here they come now…"


	69. Episode Fourteen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fourteen: "Dominators, UNITE!" Chapter Three

Following the flight path Judas had sent Matt on, the Dominators ran to the top of a hill and looked down where he had landed. "What the…" Uriah said.

"What are they doing here?" Sandra wondered. "How did they get here?"

"Aw who cares?" Judas answered. "Let's go have some fun."

Courtney said "Not so fast. There's a mystery here. First answers, then fun."

The Guardians and their friends watched the Dominators descend the hillside. Soon they were standing facing each other from about thirty feet apart. "Lair? How did you get here?" Uriah asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Irma answered. "We at least were invited. I don't see your hall pass. Why don't you head on home? Your families miss you."

"Invited by who?" Uriah questioned.

"The Queen of Meridian you dope. And I know for a fact that she doesn't want you here tearing up her people's land and terrorizing them."

"And just who is this Queen?" Judas demanded.

Elyon started to step forward, but before any of the Dominators noticed the movement Miranda grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Bad idea." the shapeshifter whispered under her breath. "Don't make yourself a more tempting target than you already are to them." She then said to Judas "The Queen's in her palace where she's safe. Don't make the mistake of messing with the palace guard."

"Ooh, the palace guard. I'm shaking in my boots." Uriah said

Bess said "Yeah, really. Our Queen gave us some very nice gifts. Maybe we should go use them on those palace guards."

Taranee thought to the others "Okay, there's no preventing it. Let's just get this over with." After receiving agreement, she said to Judas "It looks like you're the leader. So tell me, which element did Neera give you control over?"

"You know about Neera?" Bess exclaimed. "How, unless… You? You're the Guardians she warned us about?"

"Just call us w.i.t.c.h." Will answered.

Courtney thought about that answer for a moment, then said "Oh I get it. Your initials. Cute."

"Oh yeah? Well then we're… uh… j.u.s.c.b. then!" Uriah said.

Elyon replied "That doesn't even spell anything."

Uriah floundered for a moment before shouting "Oh yeah, well… Bite Me!"

Miranda glanced at Elyon. "I know it's normally against the rules, but under the circumstances would you mind if I~"

"Go for it." the young Queen interrupted.

Miranda changed shape into a large panther. She ran forward, leapt, and pinned Uriah to the ground under herself. She flashed a look at the huge teeth in the cat-form's mouth and said "Still want me to 'bite you?'"

Uriah screamed in terror and unleashed a burst of energy, which threw Miranda off of him. As she fell she reverted to her human form, and was caught by Will and Irma, who asked if it had been worth it. "Totally." she replied.

Meanwhile, Taranee had noticed something. "What was that?" she asked. "Uriah's power blast didn't look like any of the elemental powers."

"That's because it wasn't." Judas said. "Elements? Lame. Neera's given us something much better that that." He raised a hand and summoned his power, creating a sphere of pure blackness. "Why settle for fire or water when you can have this?"

"What is that?" Irma said.

"What is it? It's the greatest force in the universe Lair…" Judas fell silent for a moment, then opened the battle. "Hate!" he exclaimed, and the black energy surged forward striking the ground inches in front of Will. She stumbled backwards from the impact while at the point of contact the plants withered and died.

Meanwhile, Bess was also jumping into action. She leapt high into the air and came down on top of Cornelia, barely missing her. As she struck, she called out "Rage!" A burst of red energy flowed from her hands and where it struck the ground a huge crater loomed open from the impact. Falling in, Cornelia used her earth powers to rapidly grow a large flower that broke her fall.

Courtney raised her hands and said "Avarice!" Suddenly, everything of value flew to her. Watches, rings, jewelry, anything and everything made of a precious metal was now floating around the girl. "It's all mine!" she exclaimed. "All mine to use as I see fit!" Courtney then repeated the word "Avarice!" and the stolen objects became weapons, lashing out to strike the Guardians before returning to their new master.

"Avarice?" Hay Lin questioned while blowing the attacking objects away from herself, "What the heck is avarice?"

Taranee answered "It's the old word for greed! She must have control to make anything worth something come to her to be hers." She then used her powers to melt the stolen objects into molten piles that fell to the ground.

Uriah found himself squared off against Irma. The Water Guardian summoned up an enormous globe of water from a nearby pond, which she held in suspension over her head. "What'dya think Dunn?" she asked. "Afraid of drowning?"

"Sure am." Uriah answered. "Thanks for the boost… Fear!" Yellow energy surged from Uriah's hands, taking control of the water ball which he dropped onto Irma, trapping her inside. "Now let's see how long it takes before you're afraid to drown!"

Caleb snuck up behind Uriah and grabbed him. "Let her go." he said.

"Or what? You got no leverage! I'll just let her drown for real."

"She's the Water Guardian dude. Water. She doesn't particularly need to breathe air." Caleb said. Uriah, shocked, looked towards the globe. Irma was sitting calmly in the center. She gave a mischievous smile and waved at him.

Meanwhile, Miranda stood, watching the fight and thinking. Thinking hard. Something was at the back of her mind. Something bad. Then it came to her. "Oh god…" she murmured.

Close enough to hear, Will risked a look away from Judas. "What's wrong?" she asked Miranda.

"It's just hit me. Will, I know what Sandra's power is going to be. It's the same one Neera had in mind for me, it's got to be, given what the others are. We need to get out of here, there's no way to know how bad it'll be."

Will communicated the warning to the other Guardians. "We can't just run." Hay Lin said. Elyon and Cornelia agreed.

Judas opened up with a powerful burst of Hate energy. The stream of power was aimed squarely at Elyon, who countered with a double stream of light. The resulting collision detonated, throwing both combatants off of their feet. While Cornelia and Caleb saw to Elyon, Sandra knelt at Judas' side, then stood and faced Elyon with a look of anger on her face. "Here it comes." Miranda thought.

Sandra raised a hand. "Despair!" she whispered. All around, the very light seemed to fade from the day. The winds died down and the ground grew cold. Everyone felt it, but Elyon was the target. She was taken by surprise. Never before had she felt so weak and helpless. It was as bad as when Phobos had revealed the truth to her, but this time she didn't even see any hope of survival.

As the Guardians gathered around their friend, Caleb shouted " What's happening to her?"

"It's Sandra." Miranda answered. "Neera gave her power over despair: she causes hopelessness and anguish and pain."

Matt yelled for Will. "Combined attack! We've got to stop her!"

"Right." Will answered. "Quintessence!" Will shot a bolt of lightning at Sandra, while Matt used his own powers to also strike the girl directly. The double attack knocked Sandra off her feet and stopped her attack on Elyon.

As the light and warmth returned to the day, Elyon recovered and stood. Judas also recovered and picked Sandra up onto her feet. The five Dominators stood side by side. "Let's pick it up." Judas said. He removed a crystal pendant from around his neck.

Taranee saw the pendant. "Guys, does that thing look familiar? You don't think…"

Judas held up the crystal. "Dominators Unite!"


	70. Episode Fourteen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fourteen: "Dominators, UNITE!" Chapter Four

"Dominators Unite." With those words Judas activated the crystal Queen Neera had given him and transformed himself and his four allies into their powered-up forms. The Guardians watched as the crystal released spheres of light that enveloped each of the Dominators. Judas was in a sphere of pure blackness, while the one for Bess was red, Uriah yellow, Courtney orange, and Sandra a sickly pale green.

"Oh this isn't good…" Taranee said.

Moments later, the light orbs faded. Each of the Dominators now looked about three years older. Judas and Uriah were covered, head to foot, in thick grey armor that had an organic quality to it. Only their heads weren't armored. The outfits for the girls were much the same, except that they left the upper arms, upper legs, and midriff uncovered. All five had wings, of course, though unlike the fairy-like Guardian wings these were larger, and looked more like bat's wings.

The Dominators took a moment to look themselves over. "Awesome!" Uriah exclaimed.

"I like." said Sandra. "This is a look I can work with."

"You look good babe." Judas told her. Then he turned to the Guardians "It's not just cosmetic. I can feel the power stronger than before. You'd better give up if you have any idea what's good for you!"

"Scared yet?" Uriah taunted.

Irma laughed. "Scared? Of what? Something we see and do every day?"

"Neera based your powers off of ours." Taranee said, "So this shouldn't be a surprise to you at all. Will? Now please."

Will held out the Heart. "Guardians Unite!"

"What?" Bess shouted. "They can change too?"

"Taranee was right Bess. We should have seen this coming." Courtney answered. Then she looked at the now powered up Guardians. Locked her eye on Will. "Just like they should've seen this coming… Avarice!" Courtney's power reached out and grabbed for the Heart of Kandrakar. Took it. But before she could gloat, it teleported back onto Will's neck.

"Sorry Court. Authorized users only." Will said.

And so the battle was joined. Guardians, Dominators, and the Regent of Earth took to the air. Will and Matt faced off against Judas, and Cornelia and Elyon against Sandra. Taranee took Bess, Irma Uriah, and Hay Lin was left with Courtney.

On the ground below, the citizens of Meridian watched in apprehension. Caleb, Aldarn, Miranda, and Blunk were in the midst of the crowd. "I wish I could be up there with them." Caleb said. "I'm Elyon's bodyguard, I should be up there."

"I would fly alongside you if I could." Aldarn replied.

"I should." said Miranda. "They're in trouble, it's gotta be a life or death thing right? I should turn into a bird or something and…"

Caleb interrupted her. "No. They'll be okay. These Dominators haven't had their powers long, they don't really know how to use them. The girls will win this, so don't risk your freedom."

With a deep sigh, Miranda replied "Alright for now. But I'm going up if things start looking bad."

"Fair enough."

Sandra tried again to use her powers on Elyon, but now that the Queen knew what to expect it was a little less overwhelming. Cornelia focused her powers downward and drew up a large mass of rock and soil. She threw the whole of it directly at Sandra, who took a direct hit and fell towards the ground below.

Hay Lin managed to keep Courtney's stolen projectiles at bay with bursts of wind, but couldn't manage to shake the girl. Judas, dealing with two opponents, called for his teammates' help. Only Courtney seemed to hear, and even she didn't help him. Instead, her attention was drawn to the shiny gold mask Matt wore in his regent form. "Is that gold?" she asked. "It must be mine! Avarice!" Incredibly, the mask was torn loose revealing Matt's slightly older looking face.

Uriah hid from Irma, afraid of her wrath over the attempted drowning incident. When he saw who Matt was though, he revealed himself. "Olson!" he exclaimed. Seconds later, Irma slammed him in the back with a torrent of high pressure water.

Judas took advantage of Matt's momentary shock to recover Sandra and wake her up. Instead of staying side by side though, they returned to their original opponents. "Notice anything guys?" Taranee thought to the others, "They don't have any real teamwork. That's our opening. Hay Lin, switch me out dance partners. Irma, with Uriah down, help Hay Lin. Cool off Bess's rage a little together."

Taranee now took on Courtney. The Dominator of Avarice couldn't wait to try out her newest stolen toy. She sent Matt's stolen mask hurtling straight at Taranee's head. This was no trouble for the Fire Guardian, who simply melted it down and let it drop. "Why you! That was mine!" Courtney stormed. "You owe me for that!"

Bess flew headlong at Hay Lin, screaming as she came. "Rage!" she shouted, and both of her clinched fists blossomed with red energy. Before she could use it, she heard, from somewhere above, the voice of Irma Lair. Half a second later, the girl was soaking wet as tons of water poured down onto her. Hay Lin then added the ingredient of super cold air, and Bess crashed to the ground frozen solid.

"We're losing!" Sandra cried out. "Queen Neera was right to warn us about them! Judas, love, get us out of here!"

Full of hate, Judas almost insisted on continuing the fight anyway. Decided not to only to avoid punishment from the Queen. "Sandra, Courtney, grab Bess. I'll carry Dumb-Dunn boy." Teammates retrieved, the Dominators flew high into the air, where Judas opened a fold. Together they returned to Varthan.

Upon landing, the Guardians were mobbed by the grateful crowds. Their friends shouldered through to join them, arriving just as Will returned the girls to normal. Caleb took both of Cornelia's hands. "You're okay?" he asked.

"Fine. They're not as tough as they think they are." she answered.

"Not yet." Will said. "But if we don't stop them quick, if they keep these powers and practice with them, they'll be a real menace pretty soon." She turned to Matt. "Are you okay? Your mask…"

Taranee walked over and handed Matt the melted lump that was all which remained of the mask. "Sorry." she said.

As he returned to normal, Matt said "Sorry for what? I never really liked that mask. I'll have to thank Courtney when this is all over."

Then Blunk made his way to them. Took one look at the gold. "Ooh. Blunk offer you good price for yellow rock. Blunk pay, uh… ten of these!" He held out part of a broken old vinyl L.P. Everyone laughed except for Blunk…


	71. Episode Fourteen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fourteen: "Dominators, UNITE!" Chapter Five.

Varthan. The Dominators returned to Neera's palace, fully anticipating a nasty punishment for their failure in battle. Instead, the Dark Queen simply said 'And so now you see. The Guardians are strong and experienced. You must grow in power if you are to defeat them."

"Okay, okay. We get you on that." Judas said. "But why-"

Uriah interrupted him. "-But why didn't you tell us they were kids from our school? I almost flipped when I saw Irma! And then Matt has powers too?"

Neera let out a loud and harsh laugh. "Little fools. War is what you make of it. You can't know all the answers in advance. This was as good a way as any to illustrate that point for you."

"The Dark Queen is correct." Aljax told them. "You gather what intel you can, but in the fog of war things can change quickly. New information previously missed can alter everything. Alter it for you, or against you."

"Okay, we get your point. So I have some questions for the purpose of 'gathering what intel I can:' Like, for example, if our powers are based on theirs, why are there six of them and only five of us?" Courtney asked.

Neera smiled. "Very good young servant. Observant, and a valid question. There are normally only five Guardians. Queen Elyon's position is a special circumstance.

The five teens looked at each other with their mouths open in surprise. Looked back to Neera. "QUEEN!" they all exclaimed…

Earth. As was becoming common since the start of Neera's machinations, a meeting of the Guardians and their friends was held in Will's apartment. Those not yet in the know about the Dominators were brought up to speed. "That's what this has all been about?" Dean asked. "She just wanted her own Guardians?"

"Dark, twisted, brainwashed Guardians." Will said.

"You've got to do something." Alchemy said. "I know they're jerks anyway, but they can't be left like this."

"We're not gonna leave them like this Al." Cornelia replied. "We'll figure out something. We just don't know what yet…"

"The powers will be the real trouble of course." Dean said. "If you could capture them, take away the power, well, brainwashing can be deprogrammed."

"How could we get rid of the power though?" Will wondered.

"They must have Aura Mirrors, or some equivalent, to transfer Neera's power into them." Taranee answered. "Maybe we should try to find and destroy those."

Miranda said "I can tell you from personal experience that destroying one of those things is easier said than done. Actually, I kind of suspect it really can't be done at all."

"Back to square one then." Taranee said…

Varthan. The Dominators tried to accept what Neera had told them. "Elyon is the Queen of Meridian?" Uriah stammered. "But, that Miranda girl said the Queen was safe in her palace!"

"She lied to you. Lied to protect her Queen. A somewhat noble gesture, really."

"What secrets people have been keeping from us." Sandra observed.

"You set us up." Bess accused Neera. "You knew all along that the results of our going to Meridian would be what they were."

"Yes, I did. As I said, war is what you make of it. Do not take it personally. I would have used any of my servants, even my own son, in this way if it furthered my goals."

"It sounds like we have a lot to learn from you Dark Queen." Judas said.

Neera nodded. "Indeed you do. For now, Aljax will show you to your chambers. Rest. Sleep through the night. Tomorrow your real training begins, courtesy of my armies of Varthan." Aljax bowed to Neera, then led the way out of the throne room. The Dominators followed.

Earth. The meeting ended without any definitive conclusions. As everyone was leaving, Elyon and Will noticed that Miranda had gone up the stairs, instead of down and out. They followed and found her on the roof, leaning against the top of a wall, looking out over the city. "Hey." Will said as she leaned on the wall next to the girl. Elyon came up on the opposite side.

"Oh. Hey. Something up?"

"That's what we're asking you. Are you okay?" Will said.

Though she fought it, Miranda failed to keep a single tear from rolling down her cheek. "I'm just… I know what happened today was hard on everyone. Especially you Elyon." she said, thinking of the Queen's experience with Sandra's despair attack. "But for me… Do you know what I saw today? I saw, firsthand, what I would've been if Neera had won. It was kind of… …scary."

"Oh wow. Yeah, I guess it would be." Elyon said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You've already done it. You're the reason she didn't win. We've got to break them free of Neera's power though, and fast. It's not just twisting them, it's destroying them. Little by little, they're dying inside."

"I hope you're speaking metaphorically." Will said. "The last thing we need is another short emergency time limit on top of everything else going on."

"No metaphor. I could smell it. Neera's power is so dark, so evil, it's actually going to kill them if they use it for too long. It's not an immediate thing. Not like they'll die tomorrow or next week, or even next month. But eventually…" Miranda trailed off.

"Okay then. All the more reason to figure out how to stop this for good." Elyon said. Will and Miranda nodded agreement…

Varthan. Judas lay in bed in his new quarters, thinking things over. He decided Neera was right about war being what you make of it. For that matter, life and power were also what you made of them. He rolled over and closed his eyes. Just before falling asleep, his last thoughts were "Power is what you make it. Wait 'til the world see what I make of mine…"


	72. Episode Fifteen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fifteen: "Grave Miscalculations" Chapter One

Meridian. The palace was abuzz with over a hundred workers busily preparing for the next day's wedding rehearsal. Susan kept Will close throughout the day, while the other girls worked alongside the staff, setting up the grand hall. Dean mostly stayed out of the way with Alborn and Tom. Caleb, Martin, and Matt tried to assist, but were soon told in no uncertain terms that this just wasn't their thing. They joined the adult men on the sidelines.

At one point, Irma took pity on her boyfriend and joined him for a moment. "Not much fun over here is it?" she asked.

"I'm used to being the benchwarmer. It's cool. Actually, I'm wondering if Will or El could get me on back home. Ever since my parents heard that Uriah and friends are officially missing, my curfew's been pretty early." Martin answered.

With a short laugh, Irma said "Ironic, since you're actually safer with them out of school." She turned and waved to Elyon. "Hey El, can you come over here a sec please."

"What's up guys?" Elyon asked when she made it over to them.

"Martin's curfew. Can you give him a fold back to earth?"

An odd expression crossed the Queen's face. "Curfew? Already? What time is it anyway?" She rolled back a shirtsleeve and looked at her own watch. "Ohmigosh! I'm late! I was supposed to meet Cass and Miranda fifteen minutes ago! We're supposed to go shopping for some accessories for the wedding gowns! Come on Martin, I'll drop you off on the way."

As Elyon opened a fold, Cornelia ran over to her. "Wedding shopping?" she said. "There's no way you're leaving me out of that."

Laughing, Elyon said "Okay, come on." Three teens walked through the portal, which then closed behind them.

Varthan. The Dominators were huddled together in a hidden corner of an unused chamber in Queen Neera's palace. "Are you insane Judas?" Uriah whispered. "It'll never work! You're just gonna get us all tortured or killed! I'm too young to die!"

"God Uriah, you're such a wimp." Bess said.

Judas said, "Just trust me dude. This will work. I've thought it all out perfectly. A mistake has been made, but it's not ours. We'd be fools to not take advantage of this."

"I agree with Judas." Sandra whispered.

Uriah let out a short, chuffing laugh. "Of course you do. You've still got that 'Stand by Your Man' vibe going on. The rest of us should think clearly. Or at least Courtney and I should. Really Court, back me up here. You want everything, right? Judas' little plan could cost you everything instead."

Courtney thought about Uriah's words for a moment before answering. She finally said, "I'll give you this much Uriah. That's the most persuasive thing you've ever said. It's a good point, and I almost agree with you. But I have to look at the other side too. If it works, I get everything even sooner. And I think Judas is right. I think it'll work."

"Well Dunn? Are you with us, or against us?" Judas asked.

"I guess I'm with you. After all, Neera'd probably punish me with you if it fails, even if I back out. So I lose either way by not helping."

Judas slapped Uriah on the back. "That's the spirit. Now, let me give you guys the details on how this'll go down…" The other four Dominators leaned in close as Judas divulged the specifics of his plan…

Meridian. While Susan sat watching, Hay Lin presented Irma, Taranee, Will, and herself in the dresses she had created. Will came into view last, and at the sight of her daughter in such a beautiful dress Susan could sit still no longer. She jumped up and ran to Will, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders and gushing over how beautiful she looked. Blushing, Will whispered "Mom, friends. Here. Now."

"You fight thirty-foot long bugs like it's nothing and still get embarrassed over everyday things." Susan said with a smirk. "So ironic…"

Will noticed the other girls were all laughing their butts off. "Oh, like your mothers would do any different. Yan Lin, Mr. Lair, a little help here?" Father and grandmother were all too happy to join in, much to the displeasure of two teenage girls.

"You're the lucky one Tara." Irma said.

Miriabelle stepped in. "Not at all. Since Elyon's not here I've just got to focus on someone…"

"Thanks a lot." Taranee said.

Earth. Elyon and Cornelia joined Cassidy and Miranda who had started without them. "We kinda figured you'd be late anyway." Cassidy had explained. "It can't be easy keeping track of time with an entire planet to run."

Together, the quartet spent the rest of the evening slowly working through a number of clothing stores. Eventually, they took a break in the mall's food court. "So have Susan and Dean decided where they're gonna go for their honeymoon yet?" Cassidy asked.

"Will said something about teletransporting them to Paris." Elyon answered. "I guess they can afford a couple nights in a motel there as long as they don't need to pay for the flight."

"That's cool then. All I knew for sure was that Will's staying at Irma's until they get back."

Laughing, Cornelia said "It's kind of funny that Will's mom still makes her stay with someone even knowing she's a Guardian. It's not like she'd be in any more danger alone."

"I think it's touching." Miranda said. "Parental love and all. You guy's don't know what you'd be missing."

"She's right." Cassidy said. "I'm glad none of you have made the typical teenager mistake of driving your parents away."

Before Elyon or Cornelia could answer, a boy of about fourteen sat at the next booth. He had short dark hair that was a bit unruly in its style. He turned in his seat and said "Hey. You're Miranda right? New exchange student or something? I've seen you around Sheffield lately. I've been meaning to say hi for awhile. Name's Gideon."

Briefly taken by surprise, Miranda managed to say "Um, hi. You already know Elyon and Cornelia right? And this is Cassidy."

"Pleased to meet you miss." Gideon said to Cass. He returned his attention to Miranda. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time now, my folks are on their way out the door. But my band is playing at the Rave Coffeehouse day after tomorrow, around sevenish. I thought I'd invite you. Anyway, I better get goin' before the old man has to come in after me."

Watching Gideon walk away, Miranda said "Um, question… I don't have any experience with this sort of thing at all, so I could be way off base here but… Was that what I think it was?"

"Oh yeah." Cornelia Elyon and Cassidy all answered.


	73. Episode Fifteen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fifteen: "Grave Miscalculations" Chapter Two

Earth. Watching Gideon exit the mall, Miranda felt a slight blush come to her cheeks. "He's really kind of cute." she thought to herself. She turned back to the table to find three pairs of eyes staring right at her. Said nothing, though she knew the blush had gotten deeper.

After several minutes, Cassidy couldn't stand it any longer. "So, you gonna go or what?"

"Yeah, seriously, let's have it." Elyon agreed.

"I'd like to." Miranda said with a sigh. "But I'm not sure it's such a good idea. I mean, what if I got to know him, and liked him, and then he found out, you know… What I am."

"You're looking too far ahead. This is just a concert invitation, not even a date. And besides, what if he did find out some day? Hay Lin and Taranee live with that fear with their boyfriends." Elyon said.

Cassidy added "And don't forget me. Someday Peter might find out that I was born before his grandmother was. Actually, if things work out between us long term, he will find out. I couldn't keep that big a secret from him forever. The point is, you can't let the fear of what might happen stop you from living your life."

"You really think I should go then?"

"I would." Cornelia answered. When everyone looked at her, she clarified "Oh, you know what I mean. I would if I didn't already have a boyfriend."

Elyon reached across the table, put a hand on one of Miranda's hands. "You want me to tag along?" she asked.

"Thanks. That'll help."

"Good." Cornelia said as she stood up, "Now that that's cleared up, there are two more shops calling out my name."

Elsewhere, the remaining Guardians had returned to earth. Tom and Irma walked the short distance to their home together. "Well, tomorrow's a big day." Tom said. "You know, the rehearsal is almost as important as the actual wedding."

Irma said "Yeah. I just hope nothing goes wrong. Will's mom deserves to have this come off without any hitches."

"From the tone of your voice, I'm going to assume you mean that you hope no ONE goes wrong. Like maybe Neera or those poor brainwashed Dominators."

"Yeah. We should be safe from a targeted attack. Everyone who's gonna be there is on the safe list now. It still worries me though." Irma answered.

"Me too. You know Irma, when you've been a cop long enough you start to get some pretty good instincts. Eventually you can just tell when something is off even when there's no real reason why you should suspect anything. I was hesitant to tell you this, but…"

"…But you feel something off, don't you?" Irma interrupted.

Tom said "Yeah. It's not so bad that I would recommend calling things off, but the rehearsal… I've got a bad feeling…"

"Thanks for the warning Pops. We'll be extra careful tomorrow."

"That's all I can ask."

Varthan. Judas held up the crystal Neera had entrusted to him. "Dominators Unite!" he shouted. Colored orbs of light encased each member of the team, strengthening their powers. "Alright," he said to the others, "Follow my lead."

Together, they flew through the twisting passageways of the palace. They passed a number of guards and minor servants going about their duties. None paid them any heed, though of course all would have attacked had they known what the teens were planning to do.

Finally, they arrived at the doors to Queen Neera's throne room. "Remember," Sandra said, "Act obedient at first." Everyone acknowledged the reminder.

They walked through the doors, into the large chamber where Neera waited, seated on her throne. All five bowed before her. "Greetings my servants," the Dark Queen intoned. "I see you are anxious to begin your training. You've already activated the crystal, even.

Sandra replied "Oh yes, we are indeed ready."

"Actually, I've been thinking." Judas said as he stood up, "And I've had a really great idea. You're gonna just love it…"

"Oh? Speak my servant."

Judas grinned, a terrible grin which quickly turned into a condescending smirk. "It's like this," he said, "When we're all powered up, we've got a lot of your power. Point in fact, unless I miss my mark we've got more of your power right now than you do, especially with what you're syphoning off to maintain that veil thing you told us about. Way I figures it, that means we're in charge around here now."

Roaring in anger, Neera stood from her throne, drawing up her full height. "You dare betray me? Me!" she exclaimed.

Having risen from her insincere bow, Bess stepped forward next to Judas. "Oh, we dare alright." she said. "Varthan is ours now."

"Don't let the door hit you in the… well, uh, whatever it is you've got back there, on the way out." Uriah gloated.

Enraged, Neera charged at her would-have-been champions, claw tipped hands open wide. But just as she reached them, Judas pulled out the crystal and held it up in her path. She scrambled to halt her advance, but the other four Dominators flew behind her and each fired a blast of power that threw her further forward and into contact with the crystal. The Dark Queen called for her royal guards, but it was too late. As Nerissia had once done to Elyon, so the Dominators now did to Neera. She was pulled in, and trapped within the Heart of Varthan crystal.

Judas turned to the others. "Told you it'd work." he said.

Bess and Courtney leaned in close, and stared at the crystal. They could just make out the form of Neera beating against the inside, trying to escape. "That is totally awesome." Bess said.

"Totally." Uriah agreed. "So what do we do now?"

"Whatever we want." Sandra answered.

Uriah replied, 'Well, yeah. But I was asking for something concrete…"

Laughing, Judas said "I've got your 'concrete' right here. We'll head back to Meridian and check out the little Queen's palace. I for one can't wait to see just how good those palace guards really are."

"Not to mention how much valuable stuff must be there to steal." Courtney said.

"And maybe we'll see our friends the Guardians again." Sandra added. "I bet we do better the second time around, now that we've seen them in battle."

"We'll do all of that and more. But first, we've got a little issue here." Judas said. He pointed at the doors of the throne room, which were being assaulted from outside. "Neera's little loyal soldiers come to save their Queen."

"Sounds like fun." Bess said, charging up an attack. "Let's rumble…"


	74. Episode Fifteen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fifteen: "Grave Miscalculations" Chapter Three

Earth. Sheffield Institute. Lunch hour. As Will and Matt sat on opposite sides of their table, Hay Lin asked "So Will, you ready for this afternoon?"

"Yeah, I'm not really nervous or anything, I mean it's just the rehearsal. The real deal next week's what I'm gonna be nervous about." Will answered.

Irma said "We might have at least a little something to be worried about." She then told them about what Tom had said to her regarding his concerns for rehearsal. "I really don't think anything major will happen Will," she concluded, "but just in case maybe we should be all Guardianed up in advance."

"Maybe…" Will answered. "I dunno, it'll upset mom if we show signs something is amiss. I'd rather avoid that."

Elyon said "I can tell Raythor to have Sandpit and Gargoyle ready outside the grand hall. If anything starts to happen, they should be able to keep it at bay long enough to use the Heart."

"That's a good idea Elyon. Best of both worlds." Taranee said.

Will agreed, "Yeah. Thanks, that should work out great. Besides, I doubt anything will happen anyway, right? It's not like Neera or the Dominators can purposely attack anyone who'll be there because of who they are."

Kandrakar. The Oracle was working on one of the plans he had for possibly breaking the dark veil when Luba entered his chambers. Though he didn't turn from his work, instead continuing to tinker with a strange device Luba didn't recognize, he acknowledged that she had arrived. "Hello Luba. I trust you bring good news?"

"Yes Oracle, though not exactly the type of good news you are hoping for." She said.

Finally looking up from his work, Himerish motioned to a chair. Please, sit. Relax." After Luba was comfortably seated, he asked "So, what have you found?"

"Following your earlier instructions to seek for a solution to the dark veil, and to exhaust all possible options, I have been studying the nature of the crystal prison which contains both Nerissia and the balance of Queen Elyon's stolen powers." Luba said, "That power is, after all, the power of a world's Heart. I had hoped that it might be possible to tap into that power to dismantle the dark veil. Unfortunately, the amount of power needed would leave behind too little to keep our erstwhile former Guardian in check."

"Unfortunate indeed. However, you said that you did have good news…"

"Yes. While examining this option, I found a way to safely free an additional thirty percent of the Heart of Meridian power without also freeing Nerissia. I have already made the preparations, I await only your approval to proceed." Luba finished and looked expectantly at her leader. She clearly expected an immediate go-ahead, but she was to be disappointed.

Himerish said, "You've done well Luba. Exceedingly well. However, we should not go ahead quite yet. If you returned Elyon's power now, she would have a sudden power surge with no warning. The consequences could be disastrous. I want you to wait until we have a way to warn her in advance."

Head bowed, Luba replied "I understand Oracle. But how long might it be before we have such an option?"

Gazing down at the device he had been working with, Himerish answered "Hopefully not long at all…"

Varthan. Unconscious bodies of fallen soldiers littered the ground. The Dominators hovered over them feeling smug. "Wasn't so hard." Bess said.

"Varthan is now under new management." Judas shouted, arms held high. He didn't get to gloat long though, as he was swatted from the sky by something huge and menacing. When he hit the ground, Judas rolled over and looked up. Prince Garix stood over him, backed up by an entire legion of Larvae-Riders and four adult-form warriors.

"Free Mother now." Garix rumbled, "And I will kill you quickly instead of slowly."

Judas responded by blasting the prince with a bolt of hate-energy. Garix was unharmed, but forced back far enough for Judas to regain his footing and fly back up to the others. Looking at the force Garix had assembled, Uriah said "Y'know, Varthan's kind of a cruddy world. Maybe we should go rule over someplace else."

"You mean like earth?" Courtney asked, thinking of all the shops to rob.

"Nah, earth's cruddy too." Judas told her. "But Dunn boy's right, this hole is beneath us. We'll find someplace worthy. Meanwhile let's get on with our plans for Elyon's palace." Before anyone could stop them, the Dominators folded away.

Enraged, Garix shouted "Men! Follow me. We go to the Dark Aura Mirror chamber!"

Meridian, Elyon's palace. The wedding was to be performed by a kingdom regent named Beflore. Visually a large and intimidating man with a voice that could have passed for James Earl Jones, he was actually kind-hearted and fair. When Miriabelle had confirmed that the regents did in fact have authority to perform weddings everyone had suggested to Dean and Susan that Beflore was the man to ask. For his own part, the man had been delighted to be offered the opportunity.

Entering the grand hall, he headed straight for the happy couple. "Susan, Dean, welcome! I'm certain everything will run smoothly both today and next week. Between the palace staff and the Guardians themselves, the planning has been perfect."

One arm still around Dean, Susan grabbed her daughter with the other. "Thank you. I'm quite proud of how Will and the others managed to pull something so big together so fast."

"We all are." Dean agreed.

Looking to Will, Beflore said "And I am proud to have a chance to do something in repayment to the Guardians for all they've done for us. Anyhow, since this is just a rehearsal there's no need to be overly formal. We can begin as soon as everyone is in position." With a bow, the man took his position at the front.

Soon enough, everyone was ready. Beflore nodded to Cassidy, who pushed play on a CD of the wedding march, then instructed the chorus that would play at the actual wedding to pay close attention. They hadn't gotten it quite right yet. Susan walked up the center aisle and stood next to Dean with Will behind her as the maid of honor. Tom stood behind Dean serving as best man.

Cassidy stopped the music. Beflore opened the ceremony, and made his way through the words with little difficulty. Sitting in the back, Caleb leaned over to Cornelia and whispered "How long do earth weddings take anyway?"

"Almost done." She whispered back. "Why? Taking too long for you?"

"Nah, it just seems a bit much. Meridian weddings are more like 'Do you? Yes. Do you? Yes. Good you're married.' It's a lot quicker."

"I am SO doing it the earth way." Cornelia murmured.

A few minutes later, the rehearsal was finished, and everyone was satisfied with the results. The whole wedding party retired to an outdoor balcony for refreshments. Irma made her way to Tom and said "I guess instincts can be wrong sometimes."

"Yeah. I'm glad this was one of them." Tom answered.

Before anything more could be said, though, a shadow covered the sun. Matt looked up to see what it was and shouted "Look out!" Seconds later, Gargoyle landed on the balcony with a tremendous thud. Looking to see what could have did this to him, everyone saw the bad news they hadn't wanted: The Dominators hovered slowly down from the sky.

"Well well." Judas said. "Nice place you got here, _Queen_ Elyon. I think we'll take it."


	75. Episode Fifteen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fifteen: "Grave Miscalculations" Chapter Four

Elyon's palace, an outdoor balcony. The Dominators hovered about ten feet off the ground, facing the Guardians. Will pulled the Heart of Kandrakar from around her neck, but didn't use it yet. Susan, Dean, and most of the staff helping with the wedding rehearsal ran for shelter, while Raythor knelt next to Gargoyle, accessing the large creature's injuries. After a moment, Raythor turned to Elyon and said "I think the big guy's gonna be okay your Majesty. He's more shook up than really hurt."

"Oh, isn't that precious!" Uriah taunted. "Queenie-weenie even cares about the butt-ugly monsters in her world."

Struggling to keep her voice low and firm, Elyon said "Thank you Raythor. Stay with him until he's able to move. And as for you, Uriah Dunn, you have no place in my realm. None of you do. Leave now, or face the consequences."

Stepping forward, Ton Lair added "Kids, your families really miss you. Everyone does. Why don't you come on home, we'll get everything taken care of."

With lightning speed, Judas fired a blast of black hatred towards Tom, who barely jumped out of the way in time. "Liar! My folks probably haven't even figured out I'm gone yet!" the boy screamed. "My dad hates me and I hate him! So save your little fairy tales for the gullible chumps in the world!"

While Irma ran to her father's side, Cornelia thought to the other Guardians "How'd he do that? Irma's dad should be safe from intentional attacks by Neera's goons shouldn't he?"

Taranee answered "Yeah, He should… Unless…"

Miranda shouted at the Dominators "Listen to us! You don't have to obey Neera! We can get you free from her for good! Let the Guardians help you like they helped me!"

All five Dominators laughed. Judas held out the Heart of Varthan. "Neera? We got Neera right here!"

Amid gasps of realization, Hay Lin said "Tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Will, power us up NOW." Taranee thought into the link. "We've got to keep them busy while Elyon's guards get Dean Collins, Martin, and both parents out of here right now."

"But what's the big deal about them?" Elyon asked. "Shouldn't they be safe?"

"Not any more." Taranee answered. "…Not any more…"

Will held up the Heart. "Guardians Unite!"

Varthan. The Dark Aura Mirror chamber in Neera's palace. Garix wielded an enormous hammer, which he swung down, with all his considerable might, at the Aura Mirror of rage. The impact struck home with a resounding clang that made even the most stoic soldiers cover their ears in pain. The hammer lost, shattering into millions of shards.

Overflowing with fury at what had occurred to his mother, determined to free her, he turned to the technicians and mages who had constructed the orbs from data scanned off the Guardians. "Give me a way to take back the Dominator's power." he growled. "Give me a way… …or die."

The threatened men huddled in discussion briefly. The leader them said "Great Prince, the Dark Aura Mirrors cannot be destroyed. However, it might be possible for us to alter their power settings enough to redirect the power away from its bearers."

"Very well. Begin at once." Garix ordered. "How long will this take?"

"Not long my Prince. Perhaps half an hour before the power begins to waver, a day or two for complete power loss. Prince Garix, I must point out: you do realize that this will only depower the Dominators? The Dark Queen herself will still be trapped within the crystal."

"Yes, I realize that. It is a small concern. Once the Dominators lose power recovery of the crystal will be effortless, and we can then free Mother as soon as it is possible." Garix answered.

Meridian. A contingent of Royal Guards led by Julian and Drake escorted the threatened family members away from the battle-site, while Guardians and Dominators squared off. Sandra spread a pall of despair over the entire battlefield, weakening the Guardian's resolve. Will and Matt faced Judas, Irma and Hay Lin fought Bess. Uriah stayed close to the ground trying to hide, but Taranee found him and surrounded him in a sphere of fire. Cornelia and Elyon faced Courtney, who's Avarice power was well armed by the many expensive items in the palace.

"We've got to take Sandra out of the equation." Taranee thought to them. "As long as she's doing her thing we're not fighting at our peak."

"But how?" Cornelia asked. "The closer you get to her the worse the effect gets. I'm like halfway across the palace from her and I can barely stand it now."

"I'm open to ideas." Taranee admitted.

"Great. When even you don't know what to do, we're sunk." Irma replied.

Trapped in the sphere of fire, Uriah reached out and felt with his senses. Nearby, he could feel someone terrified of flames. He tapped his own power and controlled the fire sphere, sending it hurtling towards the pyrophobe. "What the- How'd you do that?" Taranee demanded.

"Fear's my bag babe." Uriah said. "If someone's afraid of it, I can use it against them. What are you scared of?"

On the ground below, Drake looked up and saw the ball of fire coming straight for him. He shouted a warning and ran, while everyone else scattered. The flames reached the spot where Drake had been standing and exploded into several smaller fires that flew outward in all directions. Most of these missed everyone and burned out, but one landed on Susan's left shoulder. The woman screamed in pain as she threw off her jacket.

"Mom!" Will exclaimed when she heard. "Matt she's hurt!"

"Go. I'll handle Judas." Matt answered, then fired another blast at his opponent.

As Will flew down to check on her mother, everyone suddenly felt a change. Sandra's despair field seemed to be weakening. "Sandra, what are you doing? Keep it up!" Judas yelled at her.

"It's not me!" she answered. "Something's happening from outside!"

"It's me too!" Bess shouted. "We're all getting weaker!"

Judas' face twisted with hatred. "It's gotta be Varthan! They're doing something to us! We've gotta stop them, Retreat!" Judas opened a fold and they flew through it.

On the ground, Will was fretting over Susan's injury when the other Guardians flew down in a rush, all asking if she was okay. "I'll be fine girls." Susan said. "It's just a little burn on my arm."

Taranee looked mortified. "Will, Mrs. V., I am so sorry. That was my fire Uriah took control of."

"I'll say this again Taranee, it's not that bad. I'll be okay. I just want to know how they were able to do that. Shouldn't this break the rules?"

"Yeah… About that. I think the rules have changed." Taranee said. Everyone looked at her, waiting for an explanation…


	76. Episode Fifteen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Fifteen: "Grave Miscalculations" Chapter Five

Varthan. The Dominators stood on a mountainside, looking towards the Palace several miles away. "So what are we gonna do?" Uriah asked.

Judas answered "It's simple. If they're messing with our powers, they must be doing something to those orbs the powers comes to us from, right?"

"I guess so."

Bess slapped Uriah on the back of the head. "You guess so? What else could it be? Go ahead Judas, what's the plan?"

Judas looked back towards her. "Don't have one together yet. We'll hafta go in and get them though, that's for sure. Get them out and take them someplace safe. It's just a matter of figuring out the details… Lemme think for a bit…"

Meridian. Everyone stared at Taranee, waiting for her to explain what she meant by the statement that the rules had changed. "Go ahead Tara. We're listening." Irma said.

"Okay, it's like this. I got suspicious when Judas was able to shot at Irma's dad with no repercussions. But it didn't make any sense until I saw what they had did to Neera. How they had her trapped in the crystal."

"The same way Nerissia imprisoned me." Elyon said with a shudder.

"Exactly." Taranee continued, "See, the rules affect Neera herself, and 'anyone working for her.' The thing is, the Dominators are using Neera's power, sure. But they _are_ _not her_, and, now that they've betrayed her, they _are not her servants_. Which means the usual rules don't apply to them. They can do whatever they want, and no higher power is going to step in and stomp them for violating the rules."

"Whoa…. Guys, this is bad. Everyone we thought was safe is now right back in the crosshairs." Irma said.

Hay Lin said "Maybe not. You saw how they ran and heard what they said. Varthan is trying to reign them in. If it works…"

"It won't." Will said. "They'll be back."

Dean said "Then decisions need to be made. But for now, let's just get Susan back to earth." he looked to his fiancee. "No matter what you say, I want a doctor to look at this right now."

"Yeah, let's go." Will said. She opened a fold back to her apartment.

Varthan. Garix watched as the mages worked spells to take away the Dominator's power. He was certain his plan would work. Then, suddenly, the doors of the chamber exploded inward. "Here we are." Judas said.

"You dare to return? You are even bigger fools than I thought." Garix roared.

"Oh relax tall dark and fugly." Courtney said. "We're just here for what's ours. Avarice!" To Garix' shock the girl' powers actually managed to pull the dark Aura Mirrors from their positions, into orbits around her.

"And now we'll be going." Judas said. They fled with the armies of Varthan in hot pursuit.

Earth. Two days later. Elyon and Miranda walked into the Rave Coffeehouse where Gideon's band was supposed to be playing. Looking around, they saw no sign of him. "You think maybe it was just some kind of joke?" Miranda asked.

"What? Nah, we're just early is all. C'mon, let's go get drinks and find a good seat up front." Elyon answered.

After paying and choosing a front row table, the two sat for awhile, talking and waiting. After half an hour, the stage curtains moved and three boys came through with cases containing their band equipment. Gideon was among them. He excused himself to his band members and jumped off the stage. "Hey! I didn't know if you'd really come or not. Glad you did."

"Me too." Miranda answered. "So are those guys your band?"

"Most of it. There's one more still."

Elyon decided to fade into the background and let them talk by themselves. She stood quietly and walked a few feet away, back to the stage. Neither Miranda or Gideon seemed to notice. As she watched them talk, she heard a ruffling sound from the stage, like the curtains parting. "Probably the last band member showing up." she thought.

Moments later, though, the Queen heard a familiar voice. "Elyon?"

Turning, she couldn't believe her eyes. She had indeed recognized the voice. "Joel?" she asked in surprise…

As it turned out, it was a good thing Dean had insisted on taking Susan to a doctor. While the burns weren't horrific, they were bad enough to require dressings and antibiotics to prevent infection. At around the same time Elyon was encountering Joel, Will and most of the other girls were sitting in the Vandom's kitchen, waiting. Susan Tom and Dean had said there was something important to discuss.

"Any idea what's up Will? Irma?" Cornelia asked. Both shook their heads no.

When the adults came in, they had serious, sober expressions. Susan was still favoring her left arm, which was in a sling to minimize movement. "Girls, we need to discuss something important. Tom, Dean, and I have talked this over for two days, and we all agree it's the best course of action to take." she said.

"Okay, we're listening. Though, I think all of us are a little uneasy the way you're starting this out." Will said.

Susan answered "Then let's get straight to the point: The three of us agreed to continue keeping your secrets from all your other parents because we could see that it was for their own safety. And, we all still agree that at the time it really was the correct decision. But now things have changed. Ignorance won't protect Irma's mother, or Will's father, or the Hales and Lins and Cooks from the Dominators now. And since the Dominators know who you girls are, those people are definitely in danger. What we're saying is, girls… …it's time. For their own safety, it's time your parents knew…"

The Guardians exchanged worried looks. Was this the end, or a new beginning?


	77. Episode Sixteen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Sixteen: "Full Disclosure" Chapter One

Earth, the Vandom residence. Will was ready to plead with her mother to reconsider. "Mom, are you sure this is what you want to do? I mean, I know you're upset after you got hurt, so am I, but…" Before the girl could finish, she was interrupted, but not from the source she might have expected.

"Will, stop." Taranee said. "They're right. I mean, I'm nervous too, I don't like the risk that they'll want to make us stop. But they're still right. It's time. Plus, I don't know how much longer I could've kept my mom in the dark anyway." She turned to the other three Guardians. "What do you girls say?"

Hay Lin answered "I'm scared. But I'm also tired of sneaking around behind their backs. And I know Grandma will back us up, so I should be okay."

"We'll be there at your backs too girls." Dean said. "We think they need to be aware, but we've not forgotten the rationale Mrs. Lin gave us for not interfering and we'll support you with it to the other parents."

Tom agreed. "Absolutely. Irma, your mother may have a hard time with this, but she'll also have us both there for her."

"Alright Pops. I'm game. Corny? That just leaves you."

"I'm gonna be grounded 'til the next generation is chosen if we tell my parents." Cornelia answered. "Do we really have to do this?"

"I'm afraid so." Susan said. Smiled. "Don't worry, if I could adjust to this anyone can."

"That's for sure." Will said. Susan smacked her.

"Give us a minute." Cornelia said to the adults. She thought to the other girls "Let's try to at least lay out some compromises." They all agreed, and quickly came up with a pair of requests.

Speaking as the leader, Will said to the adults "Okay, we're all onboard with you. But, can we at least ask for a couple of things?"

Tom, Dean, and Susan exchanged a glance, then Dean said "Go ahead Will."

"Okay, first," Will asked, "Can you give us a couple days to get ready, and let us do this thing our way? I mean, really, we should be the ones to tell them."

"Plus," added Irma, "This way gives the three of you deniability. You can sit there and act as shocked as everyone else."

Tom replied "My take on that one is, you've got two days, do it your way. But, we're not lying about knowing the truth. Full Disclosure is the only right way to go at this point." He asked Susan and Dean if they agreed. Both nodded. "What's your next question?"

"Second: Telling the adults is one thing. And Taranee's okay with bringing Peter into the know. But Lillian and Chris are another question. Lillian really needs to not know about the power she holds yet, and keeping that secret from her means hiding it from Chris too." Will said.

Susan looked at Cornelia. "Your mom and dad need to know about Lillian as well. However, maybe telling her this or not should be their choice instead of ours."

"Agreed." Dean said. 'We won't tell her, but the Hales get the final decision."

Cornelia let out a pent-up sigh of relief. "Thank you." she said.

"Well dad, what's your answer?" Irma asked.

Tom replied "Okay for now. But it's not a choice I can make alone. I'll need to have a long talk with your mother about it before giving you a final answer."

"Anything else?" Susan asked.

Will answered "No, I think that's everything. Now, if we've only got two days we'd better get started planning things out. Hay Lin, you think your grandma will mind doing the part we're gonna ask her for?"

"Are you kidding? She loves that kind of showmanship, she'll jump at the chance!"

Meanwhile, across town at the Rave Coffeehouse, Elyon was dealing with the surprise of encountering someone she hadn't expected to see. "Joel! Um, how are you?"

"Can't complain. How about you? You're looking good." He answered.

Fighting the urge to blush, she replied "I'm good. So, you're in Gideon's band? I was surprised when I got back in town and found out you weren't with Matt's band anymore. Then I heard you weren't even at Sheffield anymore. I was kinda sad actually, I was hoping to see you there."

"Yeah, I'm at Arsenal Tech now. It was my dad's old school, guess he thought I should be a part of some dumb tradition." He looked over at Miranda. "So, that's the new girl Gideon's been going on about for the last month?"

"Yeah. He's really smitten with her huh?" Elyon giggled.

"Understatement. The dude can't shut up. So, what about you? Anyone special? Or do your friends chase everyone off like they did me?"

"Joel, I'm sorry about that. And so are they. I can't really tell you the details, but that whole thing was a big, huge, gigantic misunderstanding." Elyon said. "And no, there's not anyone special, and yes, I think I'd still like to give you a shot at that spot if you want."

A big and rather goofy grin crossed Joel's face. "Cool."

On the other side of the room, Miranda and Gideon sat across from each other at a small table. She was more nervous than she had ever been in her life, even more so than she had been when standing before the regents at her probation hearing. "I've never been in a situation like this before." She thought. 'What am I supposed to say anyway?" She wished she could communicate with Elyon telepathically like the Guardians, she'd be driving the Queen nuts with requests for advice right now if she could.

Finally deciding to start simple, she said "So, how long have you been in a band?"

"Tom, Jack, and I got together like two years ago." He answered. "Joel joined up after he left Matt's band awhile back."

"Matt Olson? I didn't know you knew each other." Miranda said.

Gideon said "Not well. Really, I just know he's got a band. Actually, I'm lucky we got Joel. Before he joined up we didn't really have any songs of our own. I'm not a good song writer and neither are the others, but Joel's got some talent there."

Miranda grinned. "Matt's loss then. So, what kind of music do you play anyway?" Talking, Miranda and Gideon both lost track of time. They only realized how long they'd spent together when the rest of the band interrupted wanting to know if they were actually going to perform tonight or not.

After an embarrassed Gideon excused himself and joined the band on stage, Elyon sat in the seat he had vacated. "So, that went well." She said.

"Yeah, it did, didn't it? So what's the deal with you and Joel?"

Elyon sighed. "LONG story…"


	78. Episode Sixteen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Sixteen: "Full Disclosure" Chapter Two

Sheffield Institute. Morning. The Guardians finished telling their friends about the decision that had been reached the previous night. "What!" Elyon exclaimed, "Are you serious about this? What are we gonna do?"

"We're gonna go along with it El." Taranee said. "In the end, it's for the best."

Everyone noticed Will was being very quiet. "What's wrong hon?" Matt asked.

"Still bummed out that your mom's making you tell your dad?" Hay Lin asked.

Will forced a weak smile. "It's not that. Not exactly. It's just… So many people are finding out the truth lately. Where's it gonna end? Is the whole world gonna find out about us? How will we live anything like normal lives if they do?"

Irma stepped closer, put both hands on Will's shoulders. "What will be will be." She said. "But think of it this way: Even after we're done with this, it still only makes like, twenty-odd people who know. That's way short of everyone."

"And this won't change the odds of more people knowing, compared to what it already is." Taranee said. "After all, it's our parents. They're not gonna out us to the world. Really, it's only the Dominators we need to be worried about."

"I guess you're right." Will said, though everyone could tell she wasn't convinced. "So, let's go over our plans one last time. We've got to start convincing them to all get together tomorrow evening…"

Elsewhere in the city, the Dominators had found a perfect basecamp from which to annoy the Guardians and search for a more permanent kingdom to rule over: The top floor of an abandoned hotel building. As they used spray paint to black out the windows, Uriah said "Why should we keep looking for something else? This place is awesome!"

"Are you wrong in the head?" Bess asked, "The whole place is overrun with rats and bugs. You'd really settle for a run-down hovel over a castle somewhere?"

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"I like it too." Courtney said. "Plenty of room for my treasures."

"You two need help." Bess said. She walked out of the room.

"Well, I suppose the rats are a bad deal. She's right about that." Courtney said.

Uriah suddenly had an idea. "Hey, you want the rats gone, I'll get rid of the rats. Fear!" Uriah focused his power outward, all through the building, the undiluted essence of fear terrifying the resident rodents, chasing them out.

"Not bad." Courtney admitted.

Before Uriah could answer, they heard the voice of Sandra in their heads. "Come down to the ballroom. Judas wants to discuss something…"

Will held the phone in her hand, hesitant. Looked to Susan who gave her a reassuring smile and a nod. Summoning the needed courage, the girl dialed in her father's home number. "I just hope Sabrina doesn't answer." She said as she pressed send.

After four rings, Will heard the sounds of a pick up on the other end of the line. "Hello?" came a familiar voice.

"Dad? It's Will. You got a minute to talk?"

"Sure sweetie. What's up?"

"Well, it's like this: My friends and I have something important, really, really important, to tell you, and their other parents as well. It's the kind of thing that we really need to do in person though. Please tell me you're available tomorrow evening for a couple hours." She told him where they would need to meet up.

"Will honey, I'll be there. But are you sure this isn't something you could just tell me now? It sounds big and big worries me."

"I'm afraid not dad. See you tomorrow." Will hung up and sat down hard in the chair behind her. "And that was the easy part." She said.

Anna Lair was busily working on her computer when Irma entered the room. "Hi hon." She said without looking up. "Where's your brother?"

"Over at Timmy's. Listen, mom, we need to talk. It's really important."

Anna pushed her chair away from the desk, and looked straight at her daughter. She could see the nervous strain in Irma's expression, knew whatever this was it was huge. "What's wrong Irma?" she asked.

Irma answered "It's not really anything wrong exactly. I've just got something important to tell you, and well, since my friends need to tell their folks too, we've decided to do it all at once. I need for you and dad to meet us tomorrow evening."

"Irma, I think you should tell me what this is about now." Anna insisted.

Tom stepped in behind Irma. "She can't Anna. It's better if this is handled all at once."

"You know what this is about already?" Anna asked. "Irma, if you can tell your father early, why can't you tell me?'

"She didn't tell me. I found out on my own. And now, I've agreed to let the girls do this their way, and it wouldn't be right to go back on my word." Tom explained.

"No, I don't guess it would. Though, you understand, I don't like this. Are we bringing Chris along for this thing tomorrow?"

"No. It's best if he doesn't know anything. You'll see why." Irma said.

Taranee and Cassidy stood together on the front porch of the younger girl's home. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Taranee asked. "Telling Peter about me doesn't mean we need to bring you into it."

Cassidy answered "I'm sure. If our relationship is going anywhere, he needs to know about me eventually. That said, there's no better time than to get it all out of the way at once."

Together, they went into the house. Cassidy headed upstairs to Peter's room, while Taranee sought out Theresa. She had originally considered talking to both parents at once but decided it was best to just speak with her mother. Fortunately, Taranee found her alone in the kitchen. "Hey mom. We need to talk." Taranee then told her mother about the planned gathering the next evening.

"Taranee, does this have something to do with what I've learned about Cassidy?"

"It has everything to do with that." Taranee said. "Please hold off on your questions though, they'll all be answered tomorrow."

"Well, alright. But what about Peter? He has a right to know the truth here as well. And what about "being in the dark keeping us safe?" You did say that to me, remember?"

"Cassidy is inviting Peter right now. And I told you the truth. It did keep you safe. But now things have changed."

Cornelia sat in her bedroom, Napoleon curled up in her lap. "Well Doll, you gonna do this thing or not?" he asked her.

"Okay, okay… I'm going." She sat the cat on the floor and went looking for her parents. Found them in the den with Lillian. "Great." She thought. "How do I get rid of the pest?" Fortunately, the cat peeked through the door and meowed, drawing Lillian out of the room and into a pursuit towards her room.

Sitting in a large chair, drawing her knees up, Cornelia said "Mom, dad? I need to ask you something really big."

Harold Hale turned from his work. "Of course Cornelia. What is it?"

"My friends and I all have something to tell our parents. We've decided to do it together. I really need for both of you to come tomorrow. Without Lillian. As important as it is that both of you be there it's just as important that she not be. You'll see why."

Elizabeth said "I suppose we could leave Lillian with the usual sitter. But this is all very unusual dear."

Cornelia grinned. "You have no idea."

Knowing her parents well, Hay Lin had decided to let her grandma do the talking. Together, she and Yan Lin went into the Dragon's kitchen and pulled the Lin's aside into the main office. "What's this about Mother Lin?" Joan asked. "We're very busy right now." She motioned towards the dining floor, which was packed with customers.

Yan Lin said "This will take only a moment, Daughter-in-Law. "Hay Lin and her friends are going to have a meeting tomorrow. All of their parents will be there, as well as myself. You must attend as well. It is vitally important."

"But the restaurant…"

"Will survive a couple of hours without you." Yan Lin interrupted. "This is far more important."

"Mom, dad, it really is." Hay Lin said. "Please don't say no."

"Okay. We'll come. But if the Dragon falls apart while we're gone, it's on your heads."


	79. Episode Sixteen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Sixteen: "Full Disclosure" Chapter Three

The Guardians gathered in an isolated forest clearing several miles outside Heatherfield. Here they build a small fire and set up enough seats for everyone who was coming: six Guardians, twelve parents, one grandmother, and one soon-to-be stepfather, plus Peter, Cassidy, Miranda, and three boyfriends.

Not long after they finished preparing, everyone else arrived. Even Will's father was punctual, though to the girl's annoyance he had brought Sabrina along. "What's she doing here?" Will hissed under her breath to Susan. "I never said he could bring her!"

Susan answered "You didn't say he couldn't either. She's gonna be your stepmother Will, it's probably best."

"Maybe. All I see is another potential security leak."

Once everyone was present, Yan Lin got their attention and instructed them to sit around the fire…

Back in Heatherfield, the Dominators powered up and flew from their hideout, searching for the Guardians. Since discovering Sandra's telepathy, they had chosen to split up and search individually, saving time and effort. Following Judas' lead, Uriah flew south towards the docks, while Sandra took midtown. Bess searched in the east and Courtney in the west. Judas searched in the north. Soon, he decided they needed to fan out further. "Uriah, go check out the parks near town." He thought. "Maybe some of them will be out there…"

Yan Lin stood before the assembled parents. "The girls have asked me to begin these proceedings. They have something to tell you all, but in order to do so properly, you must first understand the background. Therefore, I am going to tell you a story. I ask only that you show me some patience, for the manner in which I tell this story may seem strange. "

"Strange how?" Anna asked.

"Basically, I will tell this story in the form of a fairy tale. I assure you that there is a good reason for telling this story, as well as a good reason for telling it in the manner I have chosen. You will see soon enough." With that, Yan Lin began her story. She spoke of Kandrakar, the dragons, the nymph, the Emperor. Told them about the formation of the Heart, and how the counsel began using it to protect the infinite worlds.

As Yan Lin spoke of the Heart, a suspicion struck Theresa. She leaned over to Taranee and whispered "This isn't just a story is it? This Heart thing is where that power Cassidy used comes from isn't it?"

"Exactly. It's the power source she told you she used to be hooked up to." Taranee whispered back. 'Keep listening."

Yan Lin wound down her story with a brief recounting of what had happened with the previous generation of Guardians. Then she said "Now, I told you before there was a good reason for why I was telling you this story. That good reason is this: The story is true. Kandrakar and it's Guardians actually exist. I know, because I used to be one. I was in fact one of the last generation I told you about."

Standing up, looking angry, Will's father said "I'm disappointed in you girls. You told us this was important, and then you give us little children's storytime."

The Lin's agreed. "Mother this is bad enough coming from the girls, but for you to be a part of it… What were you thinking?"

Before anyone could storm off, before the crowd could turn into a huge argument, Yan Lin shouted for attention. "We are not here to tell you stories." She said. "We are here to prove them. Will?" Will pulled the necklace off of her neck and held it out. It was glowing brightly. "Behold the Heart of Kandrakar." Yan Lin said.

Anna looked at Irma. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Yan Lin answered "Indeed it does. The new generation has been chosen." She gestured towards each girl in turn. "Will Vandom, Guardian of Quintessence. Irma Lair, Guardian of Water. Taranee Cook, Guardian of Fire. Cornelia Hale, Guardian of Earth. Hay Lin, Guardian of Air." As Yan Lin recited each name, the girl gave a small demonstration of her power.

Silence prevailed for several minutes. Then Anna slapped Tom across the cheek and shouted "You knew about this? You knew and you didn't tell me, didn't try to stop it!"

Irma stepped in. 'Mom, please stop. Please listen. There's more to this than you know yet. Dad only kept his mouth shut to keep you safe. Please let us explain."

"I think we should listen, Anna." Theresa said. "I came pretty close to finding out about this on my own before. Based on what I did learn, there may have been a good reason to keep quiet."

"Okay. But I want to know who else already knew about this." Anna demanded. Several hands went up, including those of Alborn and Miriabelle. Then Miriabelle stood and said it was time to tell her part of the story. And so she spoke of Meridian, the death of its previous Queen, and the rise of Phobos. How Phobos had killed his own parents and captured the newborn princess, still not even named. She told them how the royal nanny had kidnapped the infant princess to keep her safe, and how the child had been bought to earth.

Riveted by the story, Elizabeth asked "What happened?"

Miriabelle answered "The nanny and her husband had intended to take the child back to Meridian as soon as the inevitable rebellion started. But they lost the key to traverse worlds and were trapped here. So, they did the only thing they could. They raised the girl as their own daughter. And as her mother had not lived to name her, they chose to name her after the greatest Queen in Meridian's history." Here she changed pronouns, "We chose to name her Elyon." Ten adult heads spun to face the Queen so quickly they almost got whiplash from it. Elyon grinned and waved.

"Elyon is a princess?" Joan Lin asked.

Hay Lin said "Queen, actually, now that Phobos is in jail where he belongs."

"And that," Yan Lin said, "Is the girl's story to tell. The story of what they've been doing with their powers, why you were better off in the dark before… And why you need to know the truth now." And so the girls told the rest of the story, leaving out only the details of the identity of the revived Guardian, which was Cassidy's to reveal, and the identity of the Heart of Earth, which was for Cornelia to cover…

Flying over the forested parklands, Uriah was about to give up the search when he saw a wisp of smoke rising from a clearing. Investigating, he found his quarry. "Got 'em." He though to the other Dominators. "In the forest south of town."

Judas answered "Good. Stay there. We'll all meet up and take them on together…"

Sitting by the fire, Cassidy said "I've got something I need to tell you as well. Or at least something I need to tell Peter. The former Guardian that both Yannie and Will mentioned, the one Nerissia killed a long time ago and then bought back to life… It's me. Peter, I always intended to tell you someday, I was just scared of how you'd react. Can you forgive me?"

"I don't know Cass." Peter answered. "You've just told me my "eighteen" year old girlfriend is like, sixty. I don't know if I can adapt to that or not." He turned in his seat, facing away from her.

As Cassidy fought back tears, Theresa leaned over and whispered to her "He turned his back, but you'll notice he didn't actually get up and walk away. I think that's a good sign for you. Be strong, he'll come around."

Cassidy gave Theresa a look of surprise and gratitude. "Thanks." She whispered back.

Harold and Elizabeth were huddled together, speaking privately. They separated and Harold said "We still have a lot of questions here girls. A lot."

"Me too." Anna said. "To start with a small one, Irma, why were you so insistent that Chris not be a part of this? Isn't he in danger now too?"

"And Lillian. That was one of our questions." Elizabeth asked. "Why did you ask us to not bring Lillian, then insist that we bring the cat along?" She pointed to the sleeping Napoleon.

Irma answered, "Mom, leaving Chris out was because he's in Lillian's class in school. I'll let Corny field the other question."

Harold and Elizabeth stared at their elder daughter. Cornelia sighed. "Okay, it's like this: Remember what Yan Lin said about how every world has its own heart, and how that heart can be an object, like how the crystal is the Heart of Kandrakar, or a person, like how Elyon is the Heart of Meridian?" Both elder Hales nodded. Cornelia composed herself, or tried to, then quickly blurted out the rest. "Lillian is the Heart of Earth."

"How is that possible?" Harold asked. "You know your sister, she couldn't keep something like this secret."

"And that's why she's not here, isn't it?" Elizabeth realized. "She doesn't know."

"Not yet. To keep her safe, most of her powers have been split between three regents, who are entrusted with keeping the power, and Lil, safe until she's old enough to be trusted with this knowledge." Cornelia said.

Elyon added "Two of those three regents are here with us now. Matt is the first, and the second…" Everyone who knew looked straight at the sleeping cat.

Sensing all of the eyes on him, Napoleon awoke, raised his head, and said "What?" Harold Hale fainted off of his chair.


	80. Episode Sixteen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Sixteen: "Full Disclosure" Chapter Four

Napoleon jumped onto Harold's chest and used a forepaw to lift up one eyelid. Releasing it, he said "He's out cold, but he'll be alright." He turned to Cornelia. "I didn't speak too soon did I?" he asked.

"No, it was perfectly timed." Cornelia answered, kneeling down next to her father.

"Well, there's one." Hay Lin said. "We kinda figured we'd have some fainting at some point. Actually, we're doing better than I expected."

Elizabeth looked up at her daughter. "So let's get this out of the way. Who's the third regent you mentioned?"

"Um… …Huggles?"

"That rodent?" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"That's right doll. The rodent. Though, you understand, he doesn't like the term 'rodent.' I'd stick with 'dormouse' if I were you." Napoleon said.

"He's actually with Lillian right now." Will said. "There's no way we were leaving her totally unguarded while we did this thing."

"And if it helps," Cornelia said, "Unlike Napoleon he can't talk."

Harold moaned as he began to come to. He murmured "Are you there dear? I just had the strangest dream…" He opened his eyes to see Napoleon still standing on his chest, looking straight into his eyes.

"No dream bub. Now rise and shine." The cat said. Harold jumped to his feet, sending Napoleon falling to the ground.

It took several minutes for Harold to calm down enough to return to his seat, after which the girls all said they were prepared to answer any more questions. Before any could be asked though, another voice was heard speaking nearby. "Oh my. It looks like someone's having a party. For shame, not inviting us as well." said Judas.

Everyone looked up toward the source of the words, the adults gasping at the sight of the Dominators flying overhead. The Guardians stood and gathered in a line with everyone else behind them. "Matt." Will said, "We're gonna need you guys to get them out of here."

"Don't worry. We've got it covered." he replied.

"So what's this all about? Warning the folks about the big bad Dominators?" Uriah asked. "I'd say all you've really done is scare them. Which is just fine by me." He laughed.

Courtney noticed the diamond pendant Elizabeth Hale was wearing. "How beautiful. I must have it." she said. "Avarice!" The pendant flew up, its chain broke, and it flew to Courtney's waiting hand.

Matt, Caleb, Cassidy, and Miranda started trying to pull the adults away from the brewing confrontation. It wasn't an easy task, given the parent's fears for their children. They fought to stay where they were. Cornelia turned and yelled to her parents "Mom, dad, go with them! Get out of here before you get hurt!"

Caleb, physically pulling on Harold's shirtsleeve, agreed "C'mon already! Move!"

"What about you?" Harold shouted back. You could get hurt too!"

"Don't worry about us! This is our job!" Cornelia answered. The other Guardians shouted similar assurances to their parents as well. Then Will held out the Heart, it's bright glow drawing everyone's attention.

"Watch closely." Yan Lin instructed them, "This is where it gets interesting."

"Guardians Unite!" Will shouted. The Dominators turned and shielded their eyes from the brilliant light of transformation, while on the ground below incredulous adults watched in awe. Powered up and ready, the girls yelled one last time for everyone else to get clear, and then the real fight started.

Knowing that Sandra was the greatest tactical threat, the Guardians all focused on her first. They sped past the other Dominators, who hadn't expected to be passed over, and launched an all-out attack. Before she could even begin to use her powers, Sandra was out cold on the ground. "There we go." Irma said. "Now we've got a more even footing. Who's next?"

Rage burning in her gaze, Bess said "So that's how it is then? Well, if you're gonna ignore us, I say we should ignore you." The Dominators flew off separately, hunting down the families of their opponents…

Cassidy led Taranee's family away from the campsite as quickly as she could. From behind came the sound of an explosion. Lionel slowed, looking back. "What was that?" he asked.

"It sounded like one of Elyon's light bombs detonating." Cassidy answered. "Keep moving." Seeing the fear in his eyes, she added "She'll be okay sir. Taranee knows what she's doing. They all do, and they've got each other's backs."

"I still can't believe you knew about all this and didn't tell me." Peter said.

"Discuss it later!" Theresa told him. "Right now, just follow her lead 'til we're in the clear. We'll figure out the rest once this is over."

Moments later, they were forced to a stop when Bess hovered down on front of them. Theresa looked over at Cassidy and recognized the expression on her face. It was the same one she had moments before using some of her remaining power a month earlier. "Oh no you don't." Theresa said grabbing her arm. "I remember how that tapped you out last time, you'd be a sitting duck." To Bess's surprise, they turned and ran another way instead of fighting back. She pursued.

Elsewhere, Matt was leading the Vandoms, plus Dean and Sabrina, through a narrow ravine. "Hopefully, they won't notice us all the way down here." he said.

"And if they do?" Sabrina asked.

Matt grinned. "Then I'll do what I have to."

Meanwhile, Caleb and Napoleon, together with the Hales, were facing off with Courtney Grumper who has appeared in their path. Caleb drew his sword, and Napoleon turned to Harold and said "Try not to faint this time bub. The time's not right for that kind of thing." He then turned back to face Courtney and transformed into his regent mode.

"I… uh… guess that explains how the five-pound cat is supposed to protect someone." Elizabeth said.

"You got it doll. And before you can ask, yes, the rodent can do the same thing." Napoleon tensed to jump at Courtney, but before he could make his move, she made hers. The ground began to shake beneath their feet…

Miranda led the Lins towards the lot they had parked in. "Remember, once you're out of the forest, just get in the car and go straight home. Hay Lin will be there as soon as this is over. In fact, there's a good chance she'll beat you home."

"What about you dear?" Joan asked.

"I'm going back to help. I might not be a Guardian, but I've still got some tricks up my sleeve." Miranda answered.

"You'd better hope so." Judas said as he jumped out of the brush in their path. "Because otherwise, this is gonna be really painful for everyone. And that's a promise. I like painful…"

Matt turned quickly at the sound of a rustling sound in the forest. It turned out to be the Lairs, with Martin alongside. "Is everyone okay?" Tom asked.

"We're fine." Dean said. "Are you all okay?"

"I may never be okay again…" Anna murmured.

Susan put an arm around the other woman's shoulder. "You'll be fine Anna." she said. "Believe me, I felt the same way you do at first. It'll be alright."

Looking at Tom and Susan, Anna asked "How did you adjust to this? How can you live with our girls risking their lives this way?" A note of anger crept into her voice. "What could have convinced you to allow it?"

"Answers to those questions will need to wait." Matt said, "We've got company." They all looked up to see Uriah hovering before them, glowing with yellow energy….


	81. Episode Sixteen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Sixteen: "Full Disclosure" Chapter Five

Caleb looked at the ground in shock. "What is this?" he shouted. "Earthquakes are Cornelia's deal!"

"Earthquakes? That's just a side effect." Courtney taunted. "My power is making anything of value do my bidding. And it just occurred to me, there's got to be some kind of gold or silver or something in the ground somewhere around here." As she continued to focus her powers into the ground, tiny pieces of metals began to rise up out of the soil. Following her command, they formed into a cage around Caleb, Napoleon, and the Hales.

Napoleon tried to tear the cage open, but got nowhere. "She's made it all one piece, like it's welded or something. We'll need help to get out." he said.

Having watched the Dominators separate, the Guardians realized what they must have in mind. "We've got to stop them!" Irma shouted. "Everyone split up!"

Will stopped them. "No. That's what they want. Listen, our parents aren't alone. They've all got someone who knows what they're doing with them to keep them safe. Hay Lin, put that super hearing to use. Tell us who's in the most immediate danger. We'll stick in two groups, take them each three on one."

Hay Lin closed her eyes and listened hard. "Elyon, your parents are good. No one's even after them. Tara, Bess is after your folks, but Cass has them safe so far. Miranda's with my folks… Okay, Cornelia's family needs help with Courtney, and Uriah's after Will's family and Irma's too. Those are the biggest problems."

"You heard her ladies. Let's go."

Uriah floated about a foot off the ground, directly in the path of his quarry. "Now then, who's afraid of what?" he asked.

"You're about to find out what you're afraid of." Matt said. He changed into his regent form and fired a blast of energy directly at Uriah. The Dominator took the blast right in the chest and was knocked to the ground, but got back up quickly. As Uriah was getting back on his feet, Matt yelled for everyone else to run. It was already too late.

"Someone here is afraid of snakes." Uriah said staring at Anna. "I bet there's a lot of snakes in the forest… Fear!" Uriah's power spread over the area, drawing a swarm of snakes towards his target. Anna shrieked as she saw the approaching reptiles. Moments before they would have reached her, she felt herself being picked up and looked to see the ground below receding away. She looked up. Irma was carrying her from behind, flying a short distance away from the snakes. Behind, she heard the sounds of a battle.

"Hi mom. Sorry about the close call, I know how you feel about snakes."

"You're flying." Anna said. "I mean, you're actually flying. With wings."

"Yeah. Pretty cool huh?" Irma landed next to the Lair's car. "Get in, close the windows. I doubt any snakes will track this far but if they do you'll be safe inside. I gotta go help Will and Hay Lin."

Before Irma could fly away, Anna grabbed her and hugged tightly. "Be careful. I want you and your father both back safe." Irma nodded and raced back to her friends.

Courtney continued to gloat right up until the moment Cornelia dove from the sky and struck the ground with a shout of "Earth!" The ground buckled and cracked as huge vines and roots grew up and all headed straight for Courtney, forming a latticework cage around her.

Watching from inside the cage Courtney had made, Harold and Elizabeth looked at each other, then back at their daughter. "Wow." Elizabeth said. Harold could only nod.

"This is supposed to hold me?" Courtney yelled. "I'll tear out of here in seconds."

"Oh really?" Cornelia asked. "Tara, do you mind?"

"Not at all." Taranee said. She the set the cage of wood on fire, forcing Courtney to back into the center to avoid getting burned. Meanwhile, Cornelia used her telekinesis to shatter the cage and free her parents, Caleb, and Napoleon.

Harold and Elizabeth ran to Cornelia, but she shooed off the intended embrace. "There's time for that later. Right now, you need to get clear. Head for the car, get home, okay? Napoleon, you mind keeping an eye on Court for now?"

"Go doll. I'll pull her outta there once she passes out from the smoke."

While Caleb led the Hales to safety, Elyon contacted Hay Lin who directed them to help Taranee's family next.

Irma arrived to find Uriah had fled. "What did you do to him?" she asked.

"Nothing." Will answered. "I think he's just the weakest link. That fear power turns on him and he runs screaming like a baby. It's kind of funny actually."

Irma was annoyed. "Aw man, I wanna SEE stuff like that." she said.

Hay Lin said "Never mind that! We gotta go, Judas is after my parents now, Miranda's trying to hold him off alone!" The girls made sure everyone was unharmed, then teletransported away…

Bess raced headlong in an attempt to outrun the Cooks. She was gaining on them rapidly, and was so focused on her prey that she wasn't aware of anything else around her. This proved detrimental when a wall of flame suddenly appeared in her path, too close to avoid. Bess plunged into the fires and came out on the other side singed, smoking, and crashing into the hard forest floor.

Taranee, Elyon, and Cornelia landed directly between Bess and her targets. Looking over her shoulder, Taranee asked "Is anyone hurt?"

"No, we're all okay." Theresa answered. "Are you okay? Taranee, you look so, uh, different…."

"We're fine mom. Look, we'll keep Bess occupied, you get to the car and get out of here."

"I'm your mother Taranee, I shouldn't leave-"

Lionel took Theresa by the arm. "She's right. They know what they're doing in a situation like this. We don't." He looked at Taranee. "Be careful. And be ready for a long one on one talk when this is over."

Miranda was holding her own quite well. She had changed into a small insect and was keeping Judas busy by stinging him and using her small size and agility to evade his attacks. He was so busy with her, that he had almost forgotten who he was really after until Will, Irma, and Hay Lin appeared in front of him. Miranda flew behind them and returned to her human form. "Whew!" she said breathing hard, "I'm glad you're here, I don't know how much longer I could've kept that up."

"Rest now, we've got this. And thanks." Hay Lin said smiling at her.

Judas stared at the Guardians, intrigued by how they had arrived. "Was that teleporting?" he asked. "Huh, I wonder if we can do that too?" He vanished, and reappeared behind them. As they turned to face Judas again, he said "That's a neat trick. Thanks for cluing me in. Now I just gotta tell the others about this…"

Judas tried to contact the other Dominators telepathically, but was shocked by what he found. Sandra was still out cold, Courtney was trapped in a burning cage, Uriah had bugged out on them… Only Bess was still on her feet, and she wasn't doing well against three opponents. He looked up with eyes full of anger. "Well, it looks like this day is yours. Fair enough, we get better every time. See you around." He stared straight at the Lins. "Or maybe we'll see them around." He teleported away.

After exiting the battle, Judas had collected the remaining Dominators and teleported them to safety as well. The Guardians searched the forest thoroughly, but found no sign of any of them. As Will returned them to normal, her cell phone began ringing. "It's me sweetie." Susan said when she answered. "You girls might want to come to the Silver Dragon. All of us kind of gravitated here after we got away. We've been filling everyone in on what Yan Lin taught the three of us when we first found out."

"Is it good news or bad news?" Will asked.

"Come and see."

Thirty seconds later, the Guardians entered through the back alley door and found their families waiting for them. The Hales and Lins both ran to their daughters and hugged them, happy to see they were okay. Anna did the same for Irma, and Taranee ran to her mom and dad who were relieved as well. Will's father was more aloof, but it was clear he did care, he just wasn't any good at showing it. Taranee noticed that Cass and Peter were holding hands.

Pulling back, Cornelia asked "So… What's the verdict?"

"The verdict is, we don't like this at all." Elizabeth said, "But there's not really a choice is there? Just please be careful."

Theresa added "Be careful… And don't you ever hide anything like this from me again young lady!"

Everyone started to laugh, and didn't stop until Blunk appeared from out of a cardboard box and asked what was so funny. Harold fainted again…


	82. Episode Seventeen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seventeen: "Gross Prophet Margin" Chapter One

Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for the lame pun title. But, it was either this or 'Fold of Dreams', so count your blessings.

Zambala. Ironwood called out for the former queen. "Kadma, come quickly! I think I have it!"

Approaching at a measured, regal pace the planet's previous ruler walked into the presence of its current monarch. "What do you have Ironwood?" she asked. "What have you discovered? Has it to do with the Heart of Zambala?"

"Indeed it does." the living tree answered. "I think I have succeeding in discovering how to utilize the Heart's power to place a veil around Varthan, containing it's armies and protecting our worlds."

"Excellent. Would you like for me to inform the Guardians before you proceed?"

"Yes, please do." Ironwood replied. It used the Heart of Zambala to open a fold to earth. Kadma vanished from sight into the fold, which closed behind her.

Varthan. Prince Garix and Aljax stood before a division of fifty soldiers. Aljax said "Here they are my Prince, just as you asked for. The best of the best that Varthan has to offer. The elite of our Dark Queen's Praetorian Guard. They are assembled and ready to follow wherever you lead." Aljax bowed slightly and stepped back.

"Excellent." Garix murmured. "Hear me, soldiers of Varthan! The accursed Dominators have betrayed our Queen and kidnapped her. We will return her to her rightful place on the throne no matter what it takes!"

The soldiers shouted and cheered. They chanted the royal salute, "Hail Neera, Queen of Darkness" over and over until Garix motioned for them to be silent.

"We depart for earth in two hours." Garix said. "Use the remaining time to gather any additional weapons you may need, and see the palace provisioners for earth clothing."

As the soldiers departed to finish preparing, Aljax said to Garix "Shall I also accompany you my Prince? I do have experience with operations on earth, and have studied the customs and mores of the civilization well."

"Very well Aljax. You may come as well. Go, prepare yourself."

"I go to obey." Aljax bowed and hurried away.

Earth. The Cook family was gathered for dinner, Cassidy also present and seated across from Peter. "So," she said, "Tomorrow's the big day. Susan and Dean's wedding at long last."

"Yes. It was very nice of them to invite the rest of us now that we're all in on the girl's little secret." Theresa said. "Though, I'm still not sure what I think about going to another world. I'll never know how you girls got used to this kind of thing."

"That makes two of us." Lionel agreed.

"It's not that hard. Though, to be honest, I kind of think getting used to it is easier the younger you are. Probably a big part of why the Heart chooses new Guardians at such a young age in the first place." Cassidy said.

"What I want to know," Taranee asked, "Is how the two of you made up so quickly. I see you in the park, Peter's not talking to you, an hour later at the Dragon you're holding hands."

"No big mystery little sister." Peter said. "When we got attacked, all I could think about was how bad I'd feel if something happened to Cass." He smiled and they held hands across the table. Before anyone else could say anything, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Said Peter.

A few moments later, Peter returned with Kadma. "It's for you Tara." He said.

"Heya Kaddie, whassup?" Cassidy asked.

"Same old flippant Cassidy." Kadma said with a smile. Theresa and Lionel invited her to join them, but she declined. "Taranee, I have news for you to pass on to the rest of the Guardians. I've just come from Zambala. Ironwood has discovered how to use the Heart of Zambala to create a veil around Varthan. We await only your confirmation that there's no one who would be trapped there to proceed."

"Give me a second, I'll let them know." Taranee said. She closed her eyes and passed on the info. "Okay, we'll head back to Zambala. But it looks like almost everyone else is having dinner right now too." She said afterwards.

"That's okay. I doubt an hour will matter." Kadma answered. Taranee repeated her parent's invitation. Eying the table, Kadma said "I must admit, that chicken does look good…"

Zambala. One hour later. The Guardians and Kadma exited through a fold in front of the temple. Ironwood stood waiting for them. "I am ready." It said. "I have however honored your request to wait until you confirmed that no innocents would be trapped."

"It's clear." Will said. "I mean, the Dominators might be there, but I doubt it."

"Yeah, I bet anything they're holed up somewhere in Heatherfield." Irma agreed.

Kadma said "Of course, with Neera now trapped in the Heart of Varthan crystal, there's less of a need to go through with this."

"Right, but there's still a huge standing army to consider, and of course Garix." Elyon said. "We've still got plenty of reason to go through with this."

"Then, I shall proceed." Ironwood said. Focusing on the Heart of Zambala, Ironwood created a mass of power that hovered in the sky, bright and shining with all the power of Zambala. When the energy mass was ready, Ironwood unleashed it into space, where it sought out Varthan…

Varthan. The Elite strike force Aljax had prepared was ready. Garix, in human guise, stood at their head, Aljax by his side. As he opened a fold to earth, Garix suddenly felt something off. Aljax noticed the sudden change in the Prince's mood. "Is something wrong my Prince?" he asked.

Garix motioned for Aljax to be silent. "One moment. I sense something…" Garix raised his eyes to the sky. Saw something that, most likely, no one else on the planet could see. "The audacity…" he thought. "I never thought they'd actually…" Turning, Garix shouted "Hurry! Hurry through the fold! There isn't much time!"

Soldiers rushed to follow Garix as he plunged through to earth. Most made it, but the last few were cut off as the veil fell and the fold closed before them.

On earth, Garix took stock of the situation. Himself, Aljax, and forty soldiers. "This will have to do." He thought.

"My Prince, I am confused. What has just occurred?" Aljax asked.

"A veil Aljax." Garix explained. "The Guardians actually had the courage and audacity to trap Varthan behind a veil. Now we are trapped, unable to return home, until Mother is freed. Therefore, let us get to work. We have much to do…"


	83. Episode Seventeen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seventeen: "Gross Prophet Margin" Chapter Two

Heatherfield. The Dominators were gathered in their abandoned hotel headquarters when they all felt something different. "What is that?" Uriah wondered.

"Something bad." Bess said. "Something's changed, and I'll bet it's got something to do with the Guardians."

Judas said "The Guardians… …or maybe Queen Neera's loyal servants on Varthan. Maybe we should go check in on them. It's not good to leave an enemy at your back after all." Judas then tried to open a fold to Varthan, but nothing happened. Courtney asked if he was sure he was using the crystal properly. Judas tried again with the same results.

They were puzzled for several minutes, and then Uriah, of all people, figured it out. "It's the Guardians!" he said. "They've done to Varthan what Neera did to that Kandrakar place. They put a seal or a barrier or whatever around it!"

"The word was veil." Sandra said. "And if you'll give me a minute, I think maybe I can sense where they did it from…"

Elsewhere in town, the Hales, Lins, Lairs, and Cooks were all gathered together with their daughters, everyone dressed for the wedding. Will stood before them. "Everyone ready?" she asked.

"I think we're as ready as we're going to get, considering what we're about to do." Elizabeth Hale said. "So, how does this work?"

Will used the Heart to open a fold. "You just walk through. The other side is at the main gate of the palace in Meridian. See you on the other side." She smiled and stepped through.

Lionel Cook eyes the fold warily. "You just walk through? That's it? Any dizziness or complications or anything?"

"Nope. It's instant. One step you're here, the next you're there." Taranee said.

"Well, no time like the present." Anna said. She boldly walked into the fold. Encouraged, everyone else went ahead as well, though Taranee and Cornelia had to give their fathers a little push.

In Meridian, the Guardians and their families emerged directly in front of the palace. The adults were in awe of the size and majesty of the great building, but found their attention drawn instead to its owner. Elyon approached them from the main gate, wearing her full royal robes. She was flanked by Alchemy, Miranda, and a pair of royal guards. "Thank you all for coming." She said with a smile. "I know Susan and Dean will appreciate it. We've got about an hour before the ceremony starts, so we'll go ahead and show you to the grand hall."

Kandrakar. Himerish called the counsel together to make an announcement. Once everyone was present he held up a small device. Luba recognized it as the same object she had seen the Oracle working on several days earlier. "I have good news." Himerish said. "Like the rest of you, I have been devoting my time to seeking a way to break through the dark veil. This device is the fruits of my labor."

"You've done it then?" Halinoor asked. "You've found a way to get rid of the veil?"

"Not exactly. What I do have will still be most beneficial though. As you know, the power transfer abilities of the aura mirrors is not impacted by the dark veil's presence. They send their power through the veil as if it weren't even there. With this machine, we will be able to communicate with the Guardians through the veil. It works by 'piggybacking' a comm signal onto the power of the Quintessence aura mirror."

"This is clever indeed Oracle." Alfor said. "But wouldn't the Guardians need their own device on their end to receive the signals?"

"They already have one. In essence, we will be calling them on the Keeper's cellular telephone. Of course, since only the power of Quintessence is suitable to carry the signal, only her phone will be reachable. Still, having contact with them once more will be worth the limitations."

"So what are we waiting for then?" Halinoor said. "I for one am most worried about what may have been happening while we've been confined here. Let's go ahead with this."

The Oracle said "Not quite yet, I'm afraid. A few more adjustments are needed. We'll be ready to give it a try tomorrow."

Elyon's Palace, the Grand Hall. Everyone and everything was ready for the big event. Beflore waited at the front with Dean and Tom as his best man. Everyone was seated, and the band began to play the bridal march. Susan slowly walked the aisle and joined them at the front. The band fell silent as Beflore began to read the opening words.

Standing near Susan as the maid of honor, Will couldn't believe how beautiful her mother looked. Of course she had never been under the impression that Susan was ugly, but it had never occurred to her that the older woman was actually so attractive either. As the ceremony proceeded, Will heard Irma's voice in her head. "How you holding up girl?" Irma asked.

"Better than I would have expected if you'd told me a year ago I'd be standing here."

"You're doing fine Will." Taranee thought.

Will turned her attention back to the front. Dean was slipping a ring onto Susan's finger. Susan then did the same to Dean. Beflore spoke in his deep, deep voice "I now pronounce you husband and wife." He held off for a few seconds, then grinned and added "You can kiss her now son."

Half an hour later, everyone reassembled on an outdoor balcony for the reception party. The preparations had been lavish, and there was more than enough food and drink for all. Susan and Dean stuck close together, while everyone else mingled. Will stood looking over the edge when Matt joined her. "You seem a little detached." He said.

Will answered "Oh, not really. Honestly, I'm really happy everything's gone off without any hitches, as in murderous rampage Dominator hitches. Dean really is a good guy, as long as it took me to figure that out. Mom's lucky and I'm happy for her." Matt took Will in his arms. She relaxed at the feel of being held, but inside thought to herself "But what's gonna happen next? Who's going to find out next? And how badly will it hurt us all?"

Earth. Paris, France. Will appeared in a back alley near the hotel Susan and Dean had reservations for. The newlyweds were with her, of course. "Here we are." Will said. "Hotel's just around the corner about half a block."

Susan knelt down and hugged Will tightly. "Thank you for everything. You and your friends have made this the most memorable day of my life."

"Both our lives." Dean agreed.

"Glad to help. Anyway, I'll meet you back right here in five days. For now though, I'm dead tired. I'm gonna grab my sleeping bag and head on over to Irma's." Will hugged her mother again, then stepped back and vanished from sight…


	84. Episode Seventeen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seventeen: "Gross Prophet Margin" Chapter Three

Will walked through a dense fog, uncertain of where she was or how she had gotten there. As she made her way forward, she thought that she heard voices closing in on her location. Instinct told Will not to be found, so she tried to run. It all seemed to no avail however, as they were coming from all directions.

Moments later, she saw them. An enormous crowd of ordinary looking people, all staring straight at her. The look in their eyes wasn't a happy one. "What do you want?" Will asked.

"We want you… Guardian!"

Will stepped back from the speaker. "How do you know about that?" she demanded.

"Oh come on." A woman answered. "Did you really think we wouldn't all find out about you sooner or later? Everyone knows. And we don't like it at all."

"I think it's time to get rid of her." A third voice said, and with that the crowd rushed in, attacking Will as she tried to transform only to find the Heart missing. Will screamed for help, certain she was about to die. At that moment, a brilliant pink/purple light flashed all around and the crowd vanished. Will looked up to see a single woman standing nearby. The new arrival had a regal bearing to her stance, and was quite beautiful. "Who are you?" Will asked. "Where are we?"

"The where is quite easy Wilhelmina. You are actually still in Irma Lair's home. You are asleep, and this is a dream, or perhaps more accurately, given what those dream shades were doing to you, a nightmare. As for me, I am not really a part of the dream. I am Xan Jing."

Will stared at her companion. "The nymph? I thought you were-"

"Dead? Yes, I am." Xan Jing replied. "However, the sum total of my essence resides within the Heart of Kandrakar. So long as it exists, I exist. Though I admit I usually sleep away the centuries unawares."

"Okay… So what woke you up at this time?"

"You did Wilhelmina. I am attuned to the emotional state of the Keeper. You are in distress, and this distress awoke me so that I might attempt to aid you in working through it. Tell me please, what is it that has you so vexed?"

"You're gonna think it's stupid." Will said.

Xan Jing answered "Am I not the one who got so upset I turned myself into a crystal? Tell me of your concerns, I assure you I will not mock them."

"Okay, it's like this. The other Guardians and I have done our best to keep our identities and existence secret from everyone else on earth. That way we can live normal lives. But over the last few months, a lot of people have found out, including some serious enemies with no reason to keep their mouths shut. I'm just a little freaked over where it's going to end. Are we going to be found out by everyone? What will happen to us?"

"Ahh. I don't find this stupid at all Wilhelmina. Quite the opposite, it is a valid and understandable concern. Fortunately, I can help you."

"How?" Will asked. "The only thing that would confirm things will work out is a good look at the future."

Xan Jing answered "Then that is what I shall give you."

"Wait… You can see the future?"

"More or less. The future is not set, it shifts with the choices we make. What I can show you, though, is the best possible future, the one that will be if you win all of your coming battles, the best possible future, twenty years hence."

A smile slowly spread across Will's face. "I get to see myself as an adult? What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Xan Jing motioned with one arm and a bright orange fold appeared. Will stepped towards it and then stopped. "Hang on. This isn't going to be one of those 'Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come show me my own grave' things is it?"

"Of course not."

"Away we go then." Will said, and she stepped through the fold.

Twenty years in the future. The city was still clearly recognizable as Heatherfield, though it had changed considerably. A number of new towers reached into the sky, including one that Will suspected must be taller than anything in her own time. In the skies above, an unusual airplane with it's wings and fuselage blended together flew silently towards some distant city. Below, the city streets swarmed with hybrid and all-electric cars. Everywhere, on the sides of buildings were huge 3-D display screens running advertising.

Will realized she was in her Guardian form, and asked Xan Jing about it. "This is merely a vision, remember." The nymph said. "I changed your form for ease of travel. Come with me, our first stop is close by. Oh, and again, as this is a vision, we will be invisible to everyone."

Will followed Xan Jing down to street level, where they waited at an intersection. Soon, a car came swerving around the next corner to the west and accelerated towards them. As the driver tried to pass through this intersection however, he struck another vehicle which had the green light. Both cars spun and slid, but were only damaged slightly. As the speeder braked to a stop, his engine now off, Will heard the sound of police sirens growing louder in the direction the first car had came from. Moments later a police car rounded the corner into view.

The criminal driving the car realized he wasn't going to get his engine to start again. Panicked, both he and his partner jumped out and fled the scene on foot. Moments later the police cruiser stopped next to the damaged cars and a young policewoman leapt out of the passenger side and gave chase.

Something about this woman drew Will's attention. She was of average height, with short black hair and green eyes. Her face seemed somehow familiar to Will. In fact… "Is that Miranda!" Will exclaimed.

"Indeed it is." Xan Jing answered. "In all possible futures, events in the not too distant future will instill in your former enemy a profound respect for Thomas Lair, a respect which will eventually translate into her deciding that this is the purpose of her life."

"Wow. I knew she was big on doing good to make up for her past, but I never thought that would go this far." Will said.

Below, Miranda continued to chase the fleeing men. "Keeps runnin' Johnnys!" one of them shouted, "She's gainin' on's us!"

"Duh Frankie, what'dya thinks I'm gonna do?"

"Johnny and Frankie? You've got to be kidding me." Will said. "Even in the best future they've still not learned anything?"

"This is the best possible future for you and your friends, not for everyone." Xan Jing said. "And speaking of you and your friends, it's actually Miranda's patrol partner you are here to see."

Will looked back towards the police car to see a second policewoman attending to the innocent victims in the car Johnny and Frankie had struck. At first she only saw the woman from behind. Then she stood and turned away from the car. The hair had made Will suspicious, but the face was unmistakable. "It's me…" she said.


	85. Episode Seventeen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seventeen: "Gross Prophet Margin" Chapter Four

Will and Xan Jing watched in silence through the rest of the mop up. Will's older self seemed competent and level headed throughout, getting help for the victims and securing evidence from Johnny and Frankie's car. Soon enough, the adult Miranda returned with both men in handcuffs and shoved them into the back of the police cruiser.

"I still can't believe I end up as a cop." Will said.

"Remember, this is a possible future. You don't have to, it's your choice Wilhelmina." Xan Jing said. "Though remember also that this is the best future. As you grow older and mature you'll see things differently."

"I suppose so. Actually, I gotta admit it does seem kind of cool."

Xan Jing smiled slightly. "Yes. Well, we had better move. The next part is best observed from inside the vehicle." Everything blinked out for a moment. When Will could see again, she was in the patrol car, watching from behind the captured criminals.

Miranda was already in her seat, and the older Will was just getting in. "So. Johnny and Frankie. Again. Seriously, what are we going to do with you two?"

"Don't get too cocky cop." Johnny said. "It's not like youse is da ones that usually catch us. Youse knows it's da regents what gets us most times."

Shocked, Will said to Xan Jing "The Regents? Do people here know about them?"

"Yes, they do. The Regents of Earth's existence is common knowledge now."

"Poor Matt. His life must be awful now." Will said.

"Do not jump to conclusions Wilhelmina. You are making an assumption that is false. Keep watching, all will be clear soon enough."

Will stayed with her older self as they drove to the police station to drop off their prisoners. While they were there, the older Will's phone began to ring. She removed it from her belt and held it up, where a 3D hologram of the caller appeared. It was a young man in his late teens. "Hey sis!" he said. "Just wanted to make sure you were comin' for dinner. You know how peeved mom gets when you don't show up on Saturdays."

Jaw dropped, Will didn't actually hear the rest of the conversation. "Sis? I have a brother? I'm gonna have a little brother!"

"Calm yourself Wilhelmina. Pay close attention to what happens next."

Will looked to see the older Will clipping the phone back on her belt. Moments later, an alarm began to sound all through the building. A holographic television screen appeared in mid air, showing a scene of Heatherfield from the top of a skyscraper. What drew Will's attention was the huge fold that was open above downtown. The fold rippled and something large began to emerge from it.

"Here we go again." Someone in the crowd said. "Let's hope the Regents and Guardians are close by."

"Did he just say Guardians?" Will asked. "I thought you said you were trying to cheer me up. It's not very cheerful to know that we do get found out. I'm amazed they even let me be a cop with the Guardian thing too."

"Again, Wilhelmina, be calm. Watch."

The adult Will and Miranda looked at each other. "It's your turn." Miranda said. "Have fun."

"Right." Adult Will agreed. "Don't make Tannin too mad with the excuses." She turned and slipped out the back door.

Moments later, a door slammed open and a large angry man emerged, yelling "Miranda! Where's your partner?"

Miranda looked around innocently. "Gee Sargent Tannin, she was right here a minute ago. I'm not sure where she went."

The man fumed. "I've about had it with you two. Every single time there's some big emergency, I can only find one or the other of you. I'm done with it! You hear me? Done!"

"Sir, maybe you should speak with Chief Lair. He doesn't seem bothered by it."

"Chief Lair?" Will thought. "Way to go Irma's dad!"

"Lair?" Tannin sniveled, "He can let you two off for being friends with his daughter all he wants. I'm not going that route. Now find Olson and get back on patrol, there's gonna be a lot of collateral damage like there always is in these magic battles." He stormed back into his office and slammed the door.

Will stood, silent. Xan Jing said "Yes Wilhelmina. He said Olson. Try to stay on our main focus. What did you notice about Sargent Tannin's reactions?"

"He didn't seem to know why the older me had to leave. Like he didn't know I'm one of the Guardians. But how is that possible if it's common knowledge?"

"Very simple. Knowledge that the Guardians exist, and knowledge of who those Guardians are, is two different things. The existence of the Guardians, the Regents, and the infinite worlds, is almost certain to become common knowledge. I can see an infinity of futures, and in only the smallest handful do the people of earth remain ignorant of this for much longer. In none of them do they never find out."

Will looked at Xan Jing. "So, we're able to stay anonymous?"

"It is not an absolute certainty, but yes it is possible, maybe even probable. In no future do any of your parents or friends betray you. Your only real danger is of course the Dominators."

Will's expression turned serious. "Will we be able to save them?"

"Perhaps. Looking through the infinite futures, I see the odds are evenly split. You must proceed with caution. For now though, we should return you to your own time." Xan Jing opened another orange fold.

As she approached it, Will asked "So, I already know I have a brother in this future. Any other siblings? Any kids for me and Matt?"

"It's best if I do not answer. Already I've shown you more than I probably should have."

"Spoilsport." Will said. She walked through the fold.

Back in her own time, Will noticed Xan Jing was still with her. "Thank you." She said. "This has helped a lot, I'm feeling way better now."

Xan Jing said "Then I can return to my slumber, content to have done good for my Keeper. Wilhelmina, one more thing, before you wake up. My father the Emperor. Though he died he yet lives, in a sense, immortal and powerful. He considers the Heart his property, and in many futures comes to reclaim it. This will not occur for some time, if it does at all. But be on guard, for he is not a force to be taken lightly…"

"Wait!" Will shouted, tell me more about this!" But it was too late. Xan Jing was gone.

The next morning, Will awoke with a smile on her face. "You look happy." Irma said. "Pleasant dreams?"

"You could say that. I'm over my worries about us being found out." Will stopped there. She remembered Xan Jing's statement that what she had shown Will might have been more than she should have shown her. Therefore, she chose to keep the vision to herself, except for the warning about the Emperor.


	86. Episode Seventeen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Seventeen: "Gross Prophet Margin" Chapter Five

Earth. The Dominator's hideout. Sandra suddenly sat upright and said "I have it. I know where the Guardians released the veil over Varthan from. And it's not what we expected, they didn't do it from earth or Meridian. The power came from some other world."

Bess said "It sounds to me like we've got a trip to take."

"Yeah," Courtney agreed. "Oh, I hope this new world is loaded with gold and jewels."

Uriah asked "Aren't you guys forgetting something? Judas can only open a fold to a world if he knows where it is. We've never been to wherever this place is."

"Crud." Bess said. "He's right."

Smirk on his face, Judas said "I'm not so sure. Sandra traced the power back to the place… Listen up babe, do that telepathy thing. Link to my mind and let me feel what you felt when you were tracing the energy flow. Maybe I can work it out from that."

Together, Judas and Sandra followed the energy flow, tracing it back to its origin on Zambala. Judas concentrated hard on what Sandra sensed and came away with the coordinates of Zambala in his head. "That's it." He said. "Dominators, let's go check out our new world…"

Taranee and Nigel were walking hand in hand down a sidewalk near the Silver Dragon. "Sorry I was gone all day yesterday." She said. "Had a thing to do with the whole family."

"It happens. I just wish Matt hadn't been busy too, we could've gotten in some practice. You know, that big dance is coming up in two months, and it's down to us and Gideon's band as to who gets to play." Nigel said.

"Wow. I didn't know you guys were finalists already. When will you know for sure?"

Nigel answered "That's why we need practice. Both bands have to perform before the dance committee next week, final decision will be based on that. And Matt's busy so much, I feel like we're getting rusty."

Taranee stepped closer, snuggling into Nigel's side. "Don't worry, you'll do great. You guys always do right? Just hit 'em up with Will to Love or Demon in Me. That'll do the trick."

"Thanks. You sure know how to make a guy feel better."

Aljax stood before Prince Garix. "I bring news my Prince." He said. "But not good news I'm afraid. All attempts to lock in on the Dominator's energy signatures have failed. Based on this, I suspect they have moved to a different world. Of course, there's no telling what world that might be."

"Oh, there's telling alright." Garix said. "They've only been to earth, Meridian, and Varthan. And as they cannot be on Varthan, they must have gone to Meridian instead."

"Shall we follow my Prince?"

"No. Not unless we have to. I prefer a more strategic approach at this juncture. They will almost certainly return to earth. And it stands to reason that they have a base of operations somewhere. Modify the scanners to look for residual energy rather than active energy. If we locate their hideout, we can be waiting when they return."

Aljax bowed. "Understood, my Prince. I go to obey."

Kandrakar. The Oracle and the rest of the counsel stood around the new device. "It is ready. We should now be able to contact the Keeper of the Heart and reestablish communications with the Guardians." Himerish said.

Luba added "And, we can inform Queen Elyon of the freeing of more of her power, and return it to her as well."

"Then why wait?" Halinoor said. "Let us proceed." The counsel watched as Himerish activated the device and began to operate it.

Zambala. "This is it?" Courtney complained. "It's just a lousy, stinky jungle with a bad color scheme. Can we go back home?"

"Not yet." Judas said. "If the Guardians created the veil over Varthan from here, there must be a reason. There must be something worthwhile about this place. I wanna know what it is. I wanna know real bad."

Uriah, flying higher than the others, said "Hey Judas, if you're looking for something important, how's this?" He pointed to the north.

Judas joined Uriah, and looked where he was pointing. There in the distance stood Ironwood's temple. "Not bad Dunn-boy. Not bad at all. Girls, up here!"

Sandra, Bess, and Courtney joined the boys. "Nice." Said Sandra. "Maybe a better place to live than the hotel?"

"And where there's a temple, there's treasure." Courtney added.

"Right you are ladies." Judas said. "Let's go see who's home."

Heatherfield. Will Matt and Elyon were walking through the park when her phone suddenly said "Miss Will? I have something unusual to report." Will asked what was up, and the phone answered "I am getting an incoming signal, like someone is trying to call you. But I can't identify its origin. It's coming from outside the usual communications grid."

"That's strange." Elyon said. "What are you going to do?"

Will shrugged. "Take the call I guess." She pushed enter. "Hello?"

"Hello Will. It's good to hear your voice."

"Halinoor!" All three teens exclaimed. "How are you doing this?" Will asked.

"You can thank the Oracle for finding a way to communicate through the dark veil." Halinoor answered. "He's here now as well, but first is everyone okay? We've feared the worst since we figured out what Neera must want with you."

Together, Will and Elyon filled in the counsel on all that had happened while they were out of touch. "This bodes ill." The Oracle said. "However, we do have some good news for you as well. I will allow Luba to explain, as it was her success."

"Greetings Queen Elyon." Luba said. "I do indeed have good news for you. My experiments have resulted in the freeing of thirty percent of the Heart of Meridian power that was trapped in Nerissia's crystal. I can now return that power to you."

Before Luba could proceed, Elyon surprised everyone by saying "No! Wait!"

"Wait? Are you crazy?" Will asked.

"Will, Matt, can I speak with the counsel in private for a moment?" Elyon asked. Will agreed and handed over her phone. Once she was alone, Elyon said "Oracle, Luba, I appreciate what you've offered me. But I think I have a better idea…" She elaborated on her plan, and the counsel agreed…


	87. Episode Eighteen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eighteen: "M.A.C.E., Part One" Chapter One

Author's Note: This episode begins two weeks after the events of episode seventeen.

Heatherfield. The Vandom/Collins apartment. The Guardians gathered around as Will once again held the Heart over the enchanted map and asked the question "Where are the Dominators?" She had tried this several times over the last ten days, with no results. Once again, disappointment was to be had. The map didn't react.

Slumping back in her seat, Will said "I don't get it. They can't be on Varthan thanks to the veil, and if they were on Meridian we'd know it by now. So what gives?"

"Are we sure the map still works?" Cornelia asked.

Will answered "Oh yeah. Watch." She held the Heart over the map again and said "Show me where Alchemy is." A green 'X' appeared instantly. "And now Napoleon." Another 'X' formed on the map.

"Could they be shielding themselves from detection somehow?" Irma wondered.

"I'm sure they've got the power to do that." Taranee said. "But why would they? They can't know about the map. No, the most likely explanation is that they're off on some other world. Of course that begs the question of what world, and how they got the coordinates to it."

"All good questions." Elyon agreed. "You know, it's been over two weeks since we last saw them. There's no way they've been quiet that long. I feel sorry for whatever world is dealing with them…"

Zambala. After a weeklong conflict, the Dominators had taken control of the Temple, forcing Ironwood and the remaining Zambalans into retreat in the jungles. From their new headquarters, they continued to launch strikes to harass the natives. Ironwood organized the people into an army to fight back, but even with the power of the Heart of Zambala, they could do little more than hold their ground. "If only I had complete mastery of the Heart," Ironwood thought, "I could drive them out."

"Shouldn't we go for help?" A Zambalan asked. "Surely the Guardians would help us."

Ironwood answered "Yes, they would. And I will go to them if I must. But only if I must. I would prefer for us to win this battle ourselves."

Meanwhile, deep inside the Zambala Temple, the Dominators were also having a strategy meeting. "Is it just me," Uriah asked, "or is fighting trees getting old?"

Bess replied "It's not just you. Somehow, taking out my rage on plants is just less satisfying than on actual people, even if those plants do walk around and talk. And Courtney, I know you're getting tired of staying here."

"I sure am." Courtney said. "There's nothing of value to steal in this stinky place. Can't we go back to earth now Judas?"

"We're not going back for good. This place is a perfect headquarters for us and we're staying." Judas declared. "That said, though, I admit that I miss real fights against the likes of the Guardians, not to mention we could use some comforts of home."

"Comforts of home?" Uriah asked.

Sandra said "I think he means stuff like earth food, clothes, furniture, that kind of thing."

"Now we're talking!" exclaimed Courtney.

Judas said "Sandra's partly right. I did mean that kind of stuff. But we could also swipe a generator from somewhere and have power for lights and video games and stuff too."

"Dude, sweet!" Uriah exclaimed. "When do we start?"

Judas opened a fold to earth. "Right now." He said. "Sandra, Uriah, you come with me. Bess and Court, next trip is your turn, but guard the temple for now."

Kandrakar. The Oracle and Halinoor walked side by side into the Aura Mirror chamber. Luba and Alfor were already present, busily working. Both stopped and stood when they saw that the Oracle had arrived. "What is your progress my friends?" he asked.

"We're basically done." Alfor answered. "All is ready, we were really just making one last check over the systems to make sure we hadn't missed anything."

Luba said "And we haven't. Everything is ready to go now. We are awaiting only your order Oracle." Himerish nodded. The order was given. Luba placed her hand over a magical switch, activating the process. Alfor monitored what now began to occur.

While they waited for Alfor's report, Halinoor said "I'm still amazed that Queen Elyon would have us do something like this. The level of maturity the decision exhibits is years beyond her age."

"Well, the Browns raised her in a manner intended to prepare her for her eventual destiny." The Oracle said. "That explains a great deal, as does the maturing influence of her experiences with the Guardians, and even the bad experiences with Prince Phobos."

"I suppose so." Halinoor agreed.

Alfor looked up from his monitoring. "Excellent news Oracle." He said. "I can confirm successful power transfer. The energy is flowing at full efficiency and penetrating the dark veil just as we expected. The new additions are also functioning at one hundred percent of their designed performance."

"What happens now?" Luba asked. "And how long until we know if this has worked?"

The Oracle replied "What happens now is we contact the Queen and let her know the process has begun. As for how long it will be until we know if we have succeeded or not, that will be in the hands of the keeper. When she uses the Heart, we will know one way or the other." Together, the counsel hurried to make contact via the Oracle's communicator…

Earth. Elyon was walking with Joel after leaving the movie theater. At first they had just walked side by side, talking idly about nothing of importance. In time they had started holding hands, though neither consciously realized it at first. Elyon blushed slightly when she finally noticed.

"So," she said, "I understand you guys are the only band still in the running against Matt's band to perform at the dance next month."

"Yeah. I feel kinda bad about it, seeing as I still consider Matt a friend. But that's not gonna stop me from doing my best to get the gig. After all, since I don't go to Sheffield anymore, I wouldn't be able to be there to dance with you if we lose. But if we win, I get in as part of the band, and I know Gideon'll let me sit out a couple songs…"

Elyon grinned. "I like the way you think." She said.

Before any more could be said, Elyon heard Will's voice in her head. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've got Kandrakar on the line for you."

"I'll be right there." The Queen replied. She then excused herself into a restroom and teletransported to Will's house. "Let's make this quick. Joel's waiting outside a door for me." She took the phone Will held out to her. "I'm here Oracle. What have we got?"

"We have success, or so it appears. The power is flowing." He answered.

Elyon said. "That's good news. I'll gather them up, fill them in. We should be able to give it the real test tomorrow."

"Then I will contact you again at this time tomorrow. Good luck Queen Elyon."

"Thank you Oracle. Good luck to us all." Elyon hung up and returned to her date…


	88. Episode Eighteen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eighteen: "M.A.C.E., Part One" Chapter Two

Sheffield Institute. The Guardians and friends were gathered together at lunch time. They were eating outside, largely due to the fact that their group had grown too large for one table. "So this is the big day for the bands." Taranee said. "We get to find out who'll be playing at the dance."

"Yeah, and I'm still worried." Nigel said. "Matt, buddy, I sure wish you'd have been around for some more practices. I hear Gideon's band is good."

"I know man. I just have a lot going on right now, there's no way I could make it." Matt said.

Hay Lin asked "Why make such a big deal? If you win you get to play, if you lose you get to dance with your girlfriends. Sounds like a win-win situation to me."

"Me too." Eric agreed.

Cornelia said "Plus, it'll go good for someone else if you don't win. Elyon won't even have her boyfriend there unless his band wins."

"You know, there's no reason you guys couldn't get together and both play. Split playing time down the middle, get the best of both worlds." Alchemy said.

"Nah." said Nigel. "We've just gotta put in our all and win this thing."

"Taranee, speaking of putting in your all, could you help me out with something?" Miranda asked. "I was doing okay with algebra at first, but lately I'm just not following it at all."

Taranee answered "No problem. If I can get Will to pass that I can help anyone."

Will threw a handful of French fries at Taranee's head. "Very funny." she said.

Elsewhere, Judas, Sandra, and Uriah were searching for a generator to steal. "You know, I think maybe we should have some fun before we go back." Uriah said.

Sandra asked "What kind of fun?"

"School will let out in a couple hours. We should pick out a Guardian or two, follow 'til she's alone, and attack. I'd love to turn the tables after how they outnumbered us and picked us off one by one last time." Uriah explained.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'd like that too." Judas said. "Alright Dunn, we'll do it. But for now, let's stay focused on the task at hand: picking out a nice generator for the temple."

"As well as other things we need." Sandra said.

"Right. Let's get to work."

Later in the day, Miranda and Gideon were talking outside the main doors of Sheffield after last period. "Good luck with the tryouts." she said. "I hope you win."

"Me too. Are you sure you can't stick around? It'd do me good to have a fan watching while we play."

"I'd like to." Miranda said. "But passing grades are a big part of my being able to stay here, so I don't dare take a risk with these Algebra problems. I'm going with Taranee as soon as she's ready."

"Gotcha. Yeah, absolutely don't push your luck with something that important. I'll call you after, let you know how it went." Gideon fell silent for a moment, then said "Well, I better go get ready. I'll see you later." He leaned over, kissed her on the cheek, then slipped in through the door. She was still blushed when Taranee arrived several minutes later.

Walking to her home, Taranee said to Miranda "So, he kissed you huh?"

"Wha?" Miranda was surprised by the question. "H-how did you know? You were nowhere around when that happened."

"Girl, if you face had been any redder when I came out the door, I'd have thought it was paint. There's really only one explanation for that kind of look at our age."

Before she could answer, both girls heard a voice from behind. "Taranee's right you know. You've clearly got it bad. It's so unfortunate that he'll never see you again." The two girls spun around to see Sandra standing behind them. "Surprised?" she asked. "It's been a little while, I know. And don't worry, I bought a couple of friends." Taranee looked to see Judas and Uriah landing behind her.

"What do you three want?" Taranee asked. "We don't want any trouble, we just want to help you."

"Please listen to us. Neera's power is slowly killing you. You'll end up dead if you keep using it." Miranda added.

"Judas-" Uriah started to say after hearing this, but the older boy waved it away.

"It's a lie Dunn-boy, don't listen to it." Judas said. "Now, let's start this party… Hate!" Judas launched a blast of black energy that Taranee had to jump to avoid. Uriah began to glow with the power of fear, but made no move yet. Taranee fired off a spread of fireballs while dodging Judas' attacks, but none of them struck home.

While Judas and Uriah attacked Taranee, Sandra attempted to keep Miranda out of the fight with a strong aura of despair. Miranda watched the fight, terribly worried for her friend. In fact, she was so worried for Taranee that it took her awhile to notice something out of the ordinary: Sandra's power was having no effect on her whatsoever. She was worried, but not defeated. Even now, she was focusing not on the fear of loss, but the hope of victory.

With this realization came another. Feeling an odd tingling sensation, Miranda looked down at her hands, which she discovered were glowing with a soft blue light. "What the-?" she wondered. Whatever it was, the power was clearly growing stronger, she could feel the energy building up, even as the glow grew brighter. Miranda was frightened to then realize that whatever this was, it was aiming straight for Taranee. She tried to turn away, but it did no good.

Sandra noticed the glow. "Hey! What are you doing?" she demanded. Before Miranda could say anything, the energy surged out of her, circling around, and struck Taranee just as the Guardian was shooting off a blast of fire. Taranee yelped as she was knocked backwards and an enormous fireball, bigger and hotter than any she had ever before made in human form, flew forward, knocking Judas and Uriah to the ground.

Sandra flew to where Judas had landed, asking if he was hurt. "I'm fine babe." he answered. "But it looks like little Taranee has been holding back on us."

"Miranda too." Sandra said. "She just did something very strange."

Uriah said "I'm outta here. If they're that strong without transforming, no more splitting up for me." He teleported away.

"Wimp." Judas said, and followed with Sandra.

Miranda ran to where Taranee had landed. "Taranee, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Taranee said, sitting up. "Miranda… What was that?"

"I… …don't know…" Miranda said as she looked at the fading glow still surrounding her hands.

"Never happened before?"

"No. Never. "

"Weird." Taranee said.

"Totally." Miranda agreed. "Though… Something about it felt… …right. Taranee, are you sure you're okay? Whatever that was, it really sent you flying."

Taranee answered "Yeah, I'm fine. And it wasn't you that sent me flying. At least not directly. That energy hit me just as I was firing. It seemed to make my own powers grow way stronger than normal. That's what threw me back, that fireball was bigger than I intended, bigger than I expected, and I wasn't ready for the recoil from it."

Miranda watched the last bit of glow fade away. "Huh." she murmured…


	89. Episode Eighteen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eighteen: "M.A.C.E., Part One" Chapter Three

Sheffield Institute. Matt, Nigel and Eric stood on one side of the stage, watching their competition prepare to play. "You know," Eric said, "We're really lucky there's even going to be a dance. I'm surprised Nickelbocker and the school board didn't cancel it after we had so many students go missing."

"I asked Will's mom about that since she's on the PTA." Matt said. "According to her, they almost did, then someone argued that with the stress of the disappearances we'd need things like this even more than ever."

"I'm still worried." Nigel said.

"Let's just give it our best guys. That's all we can do." Matt said. "And at least we've got some support." He waved to Will and Hay Lin in the back of the auditorium. He then walked out to Joel and Gideon and said "Good luck guys. May the best band win." Gideon said the same and they shook hands.

Zambala. Judas, Sandra, and Uriah returned to the temple, dragging a large generator with them. "It'll be nice to have power again." Bess said when they arrived. She then noticed that both boys' armor were covered in soot and burn marks. "What happened to you two?" she asked.

"Taranee happened." Uriah explained. "Turns out our little nerdling Guardian has been holding back on us. She's way stronger than she looks."

"Really? Sounds like a challenge to me." Bess said.

"It's a challenge, but one for all five of us." Sandra agreed.

"Bess, Court, you're up." Judas said, opening a new fold. "Get whatever supplies you can think of, and have fun with the Guardians if you want. But be careful, don't get yourselves caught. Once you're back, we'll plan out a better attack with all of us."

Once they were back on earth, Courtney said to her sister "So where should we start?"

"That's easy. We've both got a score to settle with Cornelia after that last fight." Bess answered. "I say we go look her up."

Will, Hay Lin, Elyon, and Cornelia sat at the back of the school auditorium as both bands played through sets of three songs each. "This is gonna be a hard call for the board to make." Elyon said. "They're both so good."

"Yeah." Hay Lin agreed.

Cornelia said "I'm glad I don't have a stake in this. Caleb'll be free to dance either way. I guess there's a downside to the big dream of a boyfriend in a band after all."

At the front, Matt's band completed their third song and looked to the school board for it's verdict. Nickelbocker said "Thank you boys. You all did well. Go ahead and rest or 'take five' or whatever you kids say these days. We'll make our decision and let you know in a few minutes."

Elsewhere, Alchemy and her parents were working together in their backyard garden. It had taken father and daughter considerable effort to coax Paula outside; ever since Garix had attacked them, she had become fearful and easily startled. Even now, she was nervous and spun her head to face every slight sound.

Alchemy watched this with concern. She feared her mother might never be her old self again. "Mom, please. There's nothing to be afraid of, we're in our own yard." she said. "Try to focus on the work."

"I am trying sweetie. I really am. It's just, the world seems so much more dangerous now. Do you know how much I worry every time you walk out the door, knowing there really are monsters in the world? That Susan woman said she was able to adjust to it, but she has an advantage I don't: At least her daughter has the power to defend herself in an attack."

"And I have my friends by my side mom. I'm hardly ever alone."

"I know Alchemy." Paula said. "In fact, if it weren't for that I probably wouldn't be able to let you go out the door at all." she sighed deeply and shook her head. "Anyway, you're right. Let's just try to focus on our work."

They worked in silence for the next several minutes. Then, they were interrupted by a thin, shrill screeching sound. Looking, they saw a tiny baby bird falling from it's nest in the top of a tall tree. It struck the ground with a snap. Mother, father, and daughter walked over to where it had landed and looked down. The unfortunate creature was clearly dead.

"I'm trying not to…" Paula said, "But given what we were just talking about, it's hard not to see a really bad omen in this."

"Try not to look at things that way." Arthur said.

"Well, I'd better go get gloves and a trash bag and clean this up." Paula said. She started to go, then noticed the odd look on Alchemy's face. "Al, dear, what's wrong?" she asked.

Alchemy knelt down in front of the dead bird. "I'm not sure." she said. "All of the sudden, I've got this strange feeling, like I should do something…"

"Do something like what?" her father asked. "It's dead Alchemy."

"Yeah. And somehow that's the point…" Not knowing why, Alchemy reached out. Before either parent could stop her, she touched the bird. There was a sudden flash of light, blindingly bright. When it passed, the bird sat looking at Alchemy, alive and uninjured. "Whoa.." Alchemy whispered.

"How did you do that?" Arthur asked.

"I'm sure I don't know." Alchemy said. She leaned her head back, looking up into the tree. "Hey, can you go get the ladder? We need to put this little guy back where he came from."

"Oh, right." Arthur left to retrieve his tallest ladder.

"I, uh… I think maybe we need to talk to your friends. This seems like the kind of thing that would be up their alley, don't you think?" Paula said.

Alchemy agreed, "Good idea. Hey, you know what else occurs to me? I think I just turned your bad omen into a good one." Paula smiled, and Alchemy was happy to see her mother do so for the first time in weeks…


	90. Episode Eighteen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eighteen: "M.A.C.E., Part One" Chapter Four

Sheffield. The school board spent longer than they had expected reaching a conclusion regarding the bands. After the first half hour, Matt said to Will "Wow, I guess it's a tough choice. I wonder if this delay is good or bad?"

"There's one way to find out." Will said. "Hay Lin, care to do a little spying?" she thought to the Air Guardian.

"I was just wondering about that myself. Hang on." Hay Lin excused herself from Eric, walked around the nearest corner, and vanished. Invisible, she returned to the room and eased in close to the board.

"I still question whether we should even be having this dance." One man was saying. "We have five students missing under mysterious circumstances. Aren't we just creating a big target by having so many students together?"

"You mean like the target that's there every single day school is in session anyway?" Someone else said.

Nickelbocker held up her hands. "People, people please. This decision is already made. We're just stomping over old ground. The dance will be well guarded, there'll be a dozen off-duty police officers outside, three inside, and we'll add private security as well. So let's focus on the matter at hand. Which band gets to provide the music?"

"I think we should go with Jay's solution." an older woman said. "It's the perfect compromise."

"If we can't just cancel the whole thing, then I agree." the first man replied.

"Very well then. We have a motion and a second." Nickelbocker said. "All in agreement, say 'Aye.'" All but one did so.

Hay Lin rushed back to Eric while informing Will of what she had heard. "Whatever the choice, it's been made." Will whispered to Matt.

Bess and Courtney waited outside the school grounds, watching for Cornelia to leave from the top of a nearby apartment building. "Are you sure she's still in there?" Courtney asked her sister.

"Yeah. She's in there with a couple of the other Guardians."

"I just hope they go separate ways when they leave." Courtney said. "I don't wanna try to fight three or four of them with just the two of us."

Bess answered "If they don't split up at all, we'll call it off. But I'll bet you we could handle two of them in an even fight."

"Maybe. Hey, look there! That girl going in the front doors, look familiar?"

"Yeah…" Bess said. "She was with the Guardians at Elyon's palace. I wonder who she is?"

Cornelia looked up at the sound of the auditorium door opening. Cassidy entered and joined the girls waiting at the back. "They still haven't given the boys an answer?" Cassidy asked. "That's gonna run us late."

"They're telling them now." Will said. "Don't worry, we're still good for the mall. I just want to hear from Matt before we leave."

Moments later, the huddle of Board and band members broke up and the boys came to the back. "So?" Hay Lin asked, "Who won?"

"We both did." Matt said. "They decided that Gideon's band plays the first hour and we play the second."

"Whoa… Alchemy called it. Remember, she suggested you guys should do something like that earlier." said Will.

"It works out I guess." Nigel said glaring at Matt. "But I still think we could've won the whole thing with more practice."

"Then go get some now." Cornelia said. "Will and I are going shopping with Cass anyway." The three girls left and headed for the local mall, unaware they were being watched by the Grumpers…

Later that evening, Cassidy returned home to find Miranda already there. The younger girl was on the phone with Gideon, but quickly excused herself and hung up. Joining Cassidy in the kitchen, Miranda said "I'm glad you're here. I need to ask you about something."

"Sure, what's up?" Cassidy asked her.

"Well, something really weird happened to me today. I was hoping maybe you'd have an idea what it was about, before I tell the other girls. Except for Taranee I mean, she was there." Miranda then told Cassidy the whole story of what had happened to her earlier.

"That's a new one on me." Cassidy said when she was finished. I guess I should tell you about what happened to me today."

"More weirdness?"

"Yeah. See, I was on my way to the mall with Will and Corny when the Grumpers showed up out of nowhere and attacked us. We didn't have any warning, so they had the girls on the ground before we even knew what was happening."

"Are they alright?" Miranda asked.

"They're fine now. But that's where it gets weird. See, they had ignored me at first, guess they thought I wasn't a danger. But then, when I was getting ready to draw on my life energy for a water blast, I felt something else instead. I don't know how to describe it really… But somehow I channeled Will's Quintessence power and Cornelia's Earth power through myself…"

"Wow. Both powers at once? That's impressive."

"It'll be impressive if I can figure out how I did it and do it again." Cassidy said. "All I know is, I was shooting lightning out of one hand and causing the local plants to attack with the other, at the same time. Freaked out the Grumpers good though, they ran in a hurry."

Miranda said "I'll bet. So, what did Will and Cornelia think about all this? They were pretty freaked out too, weren't they?"

"They would've been, yeah. But they were knocked out when it happened, and I didn't tell them afterwards."

"You know, we'll have to let them know about this."

"Yeah." Cassidy agreed. "But I'd like to figure some of it out first. I hate going to someone for help without having any of the answers at all."

"That makes sense. We'll figure it out together then." Miranda said. "So, it's movie night, what did you find?"

Cassidy grinned. "You'll love this one…"


	91. Episode Eighteen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eighteen: "M.A.C.E., Part One" Chapter Five

At the predetermined time, Judas opened a fold from the Zambala side and Bess and Courtney returned from earth, their arms filled with stolen goods. "Wow," Uriah said, "You two don't mess around. That's a lot of stuff."

"It's mostly food and clothes." Bess said. "At least in my bag. Court went for the higher ticket items."

Judas laughed. "Of course she did. That's secondary though. How'd it go with the Guardians? Did you get to fight any of them?"

Courtney answered "Kind of. We actually took down Will and Cornelia with a sneak attack. But then that older redhead they were with on Meridian did some kind of power thing herself to save them. It was more than we were ready for, so we had to run."

"Is there _anyone_ around Sheffield who's not hiding powers of one kind or another?" Sandra wondered.

Judas put an arm around her waist. "I'm starting to wonder the same thing." he said. "But it doesn't matter. Next time, we'll hit them all at once again. We just need a good plan…" The Dominators gathered around to lay their plans…

After a long afternoon of gardening work, The Ethel's were relaxing on their back patio. Little had been said about Alchemy's earlier feat of reviving a dead bird, but it was front and center in all three minds. "So…" Alchemy said, "I know we've been avoiding it, but we really can't do that. We need to discuss what happened. What I did."

Paula agreed, "Yes, we do. You've had awhile to think it over now. Have you reached any conclusions about how you did it, where it came from?"

"No, none. All I know is, that I was standing there, looking down at the bird, and then all the sudden I had this feeling… almost like an instinct. I knew what I needed to do, though until I did it I didn't have a clue why I needed to do it or what would happen. I just _had_ to touch the bird."

"Have you given any more thought to telling your friends about this?" Arthur asked.

"Hmmm. Maybe I should call Elyon." Alchemy said. She dialed the number and Elyon answered on the third ring.

"Hey Al, I'm glad you called. I've got a question for you." the Queen said.

"I've got one for you first. Can you come over, I really need to tell you about something that happened to me today. Something really weird."

"I'll be right there." Elyon answered. She hung up and teleported directly to the Ethel home, startling Paula since she arrived right in front of them in the back yard. "Oops. Sorry, you didn't say you were outside. I was gonna knock on the back door."

Composing herself, Paula said "It's alright. I'm just glad you came."

"Me too." Alchemy said. She then told Elyon about what she had done.

Arthur watched Elyon's reactions as Alchemy told her story. When she was finished, he said "You don't seem surprised at all by what Al's just told you."

"I'm not." Elyon admitted. "Al, when you called I said I had something to ask you about. This is a part of that." She then told the Ethels about her plans…

Cassidy and Miranda were watching 'North by Northwest'. Reaching for a handful of popcorn, Miranda said "He's making a mistake."

"Huh? How do you mean?" Cassidy asked.

"He thinks the woman is an enemy. She's actually undercover police or something, maybe a spy. He's gonna get her caught the way he's acting."

Cassidy stared at the younger girl. "How do you do that? I put in a film you've never seen and you always see the big plot twists before they can happen. Seriously, how do you manage it?"

"Dunno. It just seemed kind of obvious to me." Miranda replied.

Cassidy grinned. "Remind me to never play poker with you."

The phone rang. Cassidy answered. "Oh hey Elyon! What? Sure, c'mon over." As Cassidy hung up, Elyon did just that, appearing in the room with them, Alchemy by her side.

"Can you guys come to Meridian with us?" she asked. " I need to tell you about something very important."

Cassidy and Miranda exchanged a glance, decided to have a little fun. "Oh, I don't know…" Cassidy said. "I'm really getting into this movie."

"Me too. I told you two before, you incur Cass's wrath if you interrupt movie night." Miranda said.

"This is true, I _really_ want to see how this ends."

Exasperated, Elyon said "It's a DVD, you can push pause. As if Cass doesn't already know how it ends, she was probably in the theater for the original release."

"Was that a dig at my age?" Cassidy asked.

Miranda answered "I think it was. And push pause? Why on earth would we do something like that?"

"Good Lord, they're rubbing off on each other." Elyon said. "This is a nightmare." She then opened a fold and through her laughter demanded "Through. Now."

"Oh alright. It's not like Miranda hasn't already figured out the ending anyway." Cassidy said while pausing the film. Together, the four girls walked through the fold to Meridian. Once there, Elyon told Cassidy and Miranda about what she had been up to, as she had previously explained to Alchemy.

"And the Guardians don't know about this?" Cassidy asked.

Elyon answered "Well, Will knows. And Matt. They agreed to keep quiet until we knew if it was going to work. After all, I didn't want to raise up hopes and then have it not work out. But now, it's time. All that's left is the last test, which means it's time to bring everyone up to speed."

"I for one am excited by this." Alchemy said. "Even my parents were okay with it, though that's mostly my mom's being afraid for me and liking the idea of me being able to protect myself better."

Miranda said "It's a really good idea Elyon. I'm happy for Al and Cass. But I don't think it would work out for me. You should probably pick someone else." She turned and walked away, leaving Elyon wondering how to proceed…


	92. Episode Nineteen Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nineteen: "M.A.C.E., Part Two" Chapter One

Author's Note: Apologies for the longer than normal wait by my standards. Life, lol.

Elyon followed Miranda as she walked away. "What's wrong?" the Queen asked. "I thought you'd like this opportunity. Are you afraid something bad will happen? That this might affect you the way power corrupted Nerissia? Because I can tell you right now, that's not likely. For one thing, I know you're stronger than that now. And besides, the specific power in question isn't really the kind of thing that corrupts easily anyway."

Miranda answered "It's not that. I'm just trying to save you wasted effort and both of us embarrassment."

Alchemy and Cassidy had followed behind Elyon. "Embarrassment?" both asked.

"Right. Look at what Elyon told us she's had done." Miranda said. "The counsel on Kandrakar has created three new Aura Mirrors, and channeled Elyon's freed power into the Heart of Kandrakar in order to give power to three new Guardians, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Elyon said.

"Well, here's the problem… I know you've been able to have some influence over who the new power goes to, since it's your power in the first place. But the Heart of Kandrakar has a mind of it's own, and in the end the final choice belongs to it. Not you, or the Oracle, or anyone else. Now, that's not gonna be a problem for Cass or Al. But, be honest Elyon, do you really think the Heart is going to accept me, with my past?"

Listening, Cassidy's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Elyon, can you come over here for a minute? I need to tell you something." she said. The two moved a few feet away and talked in hushed voices for several minutes. Finally, Elyon returned to Miranda's side.

"You asked if I really thought the Heart would accept you." Elyon said. "The answer is, thanks to what Cassidy just told me, I _know_ it's accepted you already."

"What? How could you know that for certain?"

Elyon grinned. "What happened to you and Taranee earlier today?"

Still not putting the pieces together, Miranda answered "We were attacked by three of the Dominators. Why?"

"And what did you do when they attacked you?"

Elyon's grin turned into a full smile. She could see the lights going on. "Wait… You mean… That blue light…?"

"Exactly." Elyon said. "That's your proof of acceptance, just like Al and Cass had things happen today too. It's really not surprising, the other Guardians started manifesting their powers before they first transformed too."

"Wow… Well, if the Heart doesn't have a problem with it then who am I to refuse?"

"That's the spirit!" Cassidy said. "So, what's next?"

Elyon answered "Next, we get the rest of the Guardians out here and fill them in too. Then Will gives us the final test of whether or not this is going to work: Transforming us with the Heart…"

Zambala. In the grand temple's main hall, the Dominators sat in a circle, laying their plans of attack. "The important thing is to stick together from now on." Judas was saying, "It's clear now that splitting up is just asking for trouble."

"Which is strange. I mean, we're supposed to be as strong as they are. Why are we having so much trouble?" Bess asked.

Judas answered her "Experience. They have more than we do."

"Plus they have allies we lack." Sandra added. "It all adds up to the advantage being on their end."

Courtney said "You want math? I've got math for you: Five on one. We've got to start picking them off one at a time, all of us together. We'll have the advantage that way."

"Yeah, until they call for help telepathically and the others pop in out of nowhere." Uriah said.

"Nuts. I didn't think about that." Courtney admitted.

"No big." Judas said. "We're on the right track here. Taking them one at a time is smart. We just need a way to jam their ability to call for help."

Before anything more could be said, the teens all became aware of a loud commotion outside the temple walls. Running to the main entrance, they found a huge army of Zambalans attacking. Ironwood was in the point position, rallying the army forward, brandishing the Heart of Zambala like a cudgel. "Forward! Forward people of Zambala!" Ironwood shouted. "Today we reclaim our world from these thieves!"

"Well What'dya know?" Judas said with a smirk. "Volunteers for practice. C'mon, we'll figure out the rest of the details later. Let's have some fun." Judas transformed them, and they flew out to meet their opponents…

Meanwhile, back on earth, Prince Garix and his entourage were encamped in the abandoned hotel the Dominators had lived in before relocating to Zambala. His patience was growing thin, but for the sake of his men he strove not to show it.

Aljax approached the Prince privately. "Are we certain staying here is the best option my Prince?" he asked. "It's been many days with no sign of our quarry."

"There is no better option Aljax. We can do nothing until they return to the earth. And when they do, this is the most likely place for them to come."

"The men grow weary of the wait my Prince."

"As do I Aljax." Garix rumbled. "As do I. But no matter. Let us look forward to the glory of success rather than brooding on the present. When they return, they will not be expecting us. We will have the element of surprise on our side. In addition, it is quite likely they will come here fleeing from a lost battle with the Guardians, weakened in advance. All the cards will be stacked in our favor…"

"I see your point my Prince." Aljax replied.

"Excellent. Now walk with me. We must visit with and encourage the soldiers before their distress becomes a problem."


	93. Episode Nineteen Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nineteen: "M.A.C.E., Part Two" Chapter Two

Earth. The next day. Answering Will's request, the Guardians and their allies were gathered together in the forest outside of town. "So what's this about Will?" Hay Lin asked.

"I'm not the one to ask. I know what it's about, but this is Elyon's moment, and I'm not stealing the thunder from her." Will answered. She looked to Elyon. "You're on El. The floor's all yours."

Everyone looked at the Queen expectantly. She said "Okay, here's the deal. You already know that a couple of weeks ago Kandrakar found a way to communicate with us again through Will's cell phone." Everyone nodded. "What we didn't tell you about, is a part of that first conversation. Will and Matt know, they were there, but I asked them to stay quiet. I didn't want to get people's hopes up and then have it not work."

Alborn looked down at his adopted daughter. "Have what not work? What has the counsel been doing Elyon?" he asked.

"Yeah, spill it already, especially if it's good news." Cornelia said.

Elyon continued "During that first call, Luba informed me that she had managed to free some more of the Heart of Meridian power from Nerissia's prison. She intended to immediately send the power back into me. I told her not to."

Across the assembled group, almost everyone looked shocked. "Elyon!" Cornelia exclaimed, "Why wouldn't you take it back? It's your power, you should have it!"

"Exactly what Will and I told her." Matt said.

"Wait, hear me out!" Elyon said. "If Luba had freed all of the power, I would have taken it back. After all, A fully powered Heart would be a big asset in our fight with Varthan. But, the percentage Luba pulled free, it was like thirty percent."

Napoleon raised his head. "In one person, that sounds like just enough power to make you an enemy's primary target, but not enough to guarantee you'd be able to defend yourself when they came after you."

Elyon smiled. "Thank you Napoleon. That was my thinking too. But, split three ways, there's exactly enough energy there to give powers to three more Guardians…"

Another ripple of surprise went through the group. "Are you saying there are now three more people out there with powers like our girls have?" Susan asked.

"How will we find them?" Martin wondered. Everyone began talking over each other, asking questions and wondering what would happen now. Elyon tried to get their attention back, and had to resort to a burst of bright light to do so.

"Listen." She said. "Yes, there are three new Guardians, or we'll find out for sure momentarily anyway. The freed power was channeled into the Heart of Kandrakar, and three new Aura Mirrors have been made. Now, it's true that the choice of who gets the power is up to the Heart itself. But since the power being used is mine, I was able to convince it to send this power to those I wanted to have it." Here, she looked over her shoulder to where Cassidy, Alchemy, and Miranda were standing side by side.

Taranee looked at Miranda. "This explains a lot." She said.

Miranda chuckled lightly. "It sure does. I just wish I'd put two and two together as fast as you did."

Alchemy stepped over next to her parents. "Mom, I know this is probably scary for you, but I want to do it."

"I know dear." Paula said. "You've always been the type who cares and wants to help. And yes, it's scary for me. But I was already scared out of my wits for you anyway, since that Garix thing… Al, I'm not gonna argue with something that gives you the ability to defend yourself."

With a huge smile, Alchemy hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you." she said.

"So what now?" Matt asked.

Elyon answered "All three of them have manifested a bit of their powers already. There's only one step left. Will, it's your turn."

Will pulled the Heart free from her neck. "Guardians Unite!" The Heart glowed brighter than ever before. Bolts of energy surged forth, and it released a total of nine spheres of light, one for each Guardian new and old. Moments later, the light show faded and the girls, all of them, were transformed. Cassidy's Guardian outfit was the same as the one she had worn in her previous life. Alchemy's was similar to Cornelia's, but with the colors of top and bottom reversed and a slightly longer, flowing dress bottom. Miranda's was the same as Hay Lin's, though as with Alchemy the color scheme was reversed. She also had much longer hair, pulled into a ponytail in the back.

As they floated down and landed, Alchemy was practically bursting with excitement. "That was awesome!" she exclaimed. "Totally, totally, Awesome!"

"I didn't realize how much I missed it." Cassidy said. She glanced over at Miranda. "Lookin' good kid. I like the hair."

A confused look passed over Miranda's face. "Hair?" she asked. "What…" She felt around her back, found the long braid. "Whoa! How long is it anyway?"

Irma peered around behind her. "Just about to your ankles. So, What powers do they have? Did you just, like, copy and paste from three of us?"

"Not at all." Elyon answered. "See, I figured that if Neera could alter the Heart of Varthan Aura Mirrors to give the Dominators powers based on negative emotions, then why couldn't we alter the Heart of Meridian Aura Mirrors to give powers based on positive emotions?"

With that, Elyon walked to each of the new Guardians and, one by one, revealed their powers. "Cassidy." she said, "You are now the Guardian of Empathy. You have the ability to channel and use the powers of any elemental Guardian in close proximity to you. You also have the ability to establish telepathic communication with anyone, not just within the Guardian link, and to sense and understand the motivations of anyone nearby. With time, you may also be able to accurately detect whether or not someone is telling the truth with absolute certainty."

Elyon moved to the next girl in line. "Alchemy. You are now the Guardian of Faith. You have the power to cure any illness, any injury. You can even resuscitate the dead, though only if they've been dead for only a very short time. In addition, you have the power to create and shoot blasts of pure positive energy, which will harm the evil, but do nothing to the innocent. This energy will even be able to wound immaterial entities, such as spirits and energy beings. Eventually, your healing power should also extend to being able to cure mental and psychological problems as well."

Stepping before the last of the new Guardians, Elyon said "Miranda. I'm so very proud of how far you've come my friend. You are now the Guardian of Hope. The aura of Hope is powerful, and it will give you a number of abilities. You can totally negate Sandra's aura of despair, for yourself and those around you. You can use your power to temporarily double the power level of any elemental Guardian nearby. The aura of Hope can also be used to transform yourself or any of us into our Guardian form, though a Guardian transformed in this way cannot also be doubled in power. The only downside is, you will not also be able to shapeshift while in Guardian form."

Miranda laughed as she said "I'm not allowed to anyway, so it's not a big deal."

"And now," Will said, "It's time to practice. Let's put you three through the paces, see just what you've got."

Cassidy grinned. "This is gonna be fun…"


	94. Episode Nineteen Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nineteen: "M.A.C.E., Part Two" Chapter Three

After a full afternoon of practice, the Guardians went their own ways for the evening. Will joined Irma for dinner at the dragon, and Cassidy went along. Miranda however hurried home, expecting a call from Gideon. When they arrived at the restaurant, Joan Lin seated them, then leaned in close. "We're sorry we couldn't be there for whatever you girls had going on." She said. "Did everything work out okay?"

Irma answered "Great. Cass is officially on the roles again."

"Oh! Well, good news to celebrate then. I'll have Hay Lin fill me in on the details when she gets home. For now she's out on another date with Eric." Joan took their orders and walked away.

"So how does it feel Cassidy?" Will asked. "Something tells me right now you're remembering the good old days and forgetting the lost sleep, the sprained ankles, the burns…"

Irma took over "…The freezing cold, the burning heat, the big giant monsters trying to kill you and make you into appetizers…."

Laughing, Cassidy said "Oh, I've not forgotten. I guess I just loved the work so much I don't care. Seriously girls, these are the best days of a person's life. Enjoy them, 'cause you never know when they'll be over…" She stopped for a moment, then said 'Whoops. Think I bought the room down. Sorry."

"It's cool. We know you're right." Will said. "So let's focus on better things though. Irma, Martin asked you to the dance yet?"

"I think so. Thing is, it's like the first Big event he's had a chance to ask me to since we started dating. He was kind of nervous and the words didn't come out quite right." She said. "He said it something like 'To dance with you will I go maybe?'" They were still laughing when the food arrived…

Taranee and Nigel were together in her room, listening to music and ostensibly studying, though in reality most of the time was spent in each other's arms. The door was open of course, Theresa wouldn't allow it closed with Nigel there, so it was pure luck that they happened to actually be working on assignments when Theresa came to the door. "Tara," she said, "I need to see you in the kitchen for a moment."

Taranee got up and followed her mother out of the room. Nigel started to follow, but was intercepted by Peter who said "Hey man, you seen the new 'Call of Duty' game yet? It's sweet."

Recognizing a distraction when she saw one, Taranee said "Go ahead Nigel, check it out. I'll get back with you as soon as I can." Nigel went with Peter, and Taranee followed Theresa quietly until they reached the kitchen. "Okay, what's going on?" she finally asked.

Theresa glanced towards the kitchen window, which looked out onto the dark backyard. "There's someone here to see you." She said. "Or more accurately, someTHING here to see you. It's in the backyard. Some kind of… talking tree…"

"Tree? That sounds like a Zambalan. But how in the world did one get to earth?" Taranee went out the kitchen door, Theresa following close behind, and found her guest. "Ironwood!" she exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

"Please forgive my rough appearance." Ironwood said. "It was a long and difficult battle. Even with the Heart, I barely had the strength to open a fold."

Concern crossed Theresa's face. "Battle? I don't like the sound of this."

"As well you shouldn't." the tree replied. "I fear I have made a terrible mistake. I should have come seeking the Guardian's help at once. Instead I allowed my pride and arrogance to dictate my actions. Now, only I remain. My people, all of them, have taken refuge in cocoons once more. May the gods forgive me…"

Still uncertain as to what had occurred, Taranee said "I think you'd best start at the beginning. What happened? Who were you fighting?" Ironwood started at the beginning and told her everything…

Hay Lin had just returned home to the Dragon and joined the other girls in their booth when Taranee's call for help reached them. "I'll fill you all in once you're here." She thought to them. "Just get here quick." Together, they slipped out of view of the other customers and teleported away…

Cornelia was walking along the moonlit pier, hand in hand with Caleb, when she got the message. "Aw man, not now!" she thought. Though she tried to hide it, Caleb had noticed her sudden start when Taranee's message came in.

"I know that reaction." He said. "What's up with the other Guardians?"

Sighing deeply, she told him. "I could just pretend I didn't hear her you know. How often do we get to enjoy each other's company alone like this?" Caleb gave her a look that said it all. "Okay, okay… we'll go. Hang on tight." Seeing no one looking their way, she transported them both to Taranee's home…

Alchemy stepped out of her room and found both parents in the den. "Hey," she said, you got a minute?"

"What's up hon?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I never thought I'd be saying a sentence like this, but I just got a message from Tara. She says she knows where our missing classmates are, and it's time for us to go after them."

"I didn't hear the phone ringing." Arthur said.

"Oh, well, it wasn't a phone call." Alchemy explained. She tapped a finger on the side of her head. "It was a call in here. And just let me tell you, that's gonna take some getting used to."

Paula looked nervous. "So this means… what? You'll be going off to some other world? Fighting maybe?"

"Yeah, on the first part, probably on the second."

"I hoped it wouldn't happen this soon." Paula answered. "But, I guess this is your job now. Be careful Alchemy. Stick close to the others."

"Do you need a ride to Taranee's?" Arthur asked, "Or will you be doing that teleporting thing we've seen Elyon do?"

"El's coming here dad." Alchemy replied. "They all say teleporting around is something best experimented with a little at a time." Moments later, Elyon appeared with Miranda already by her side. Alchemy joined them and they vanished from sight…

Irma was the last to arrive at Taranee's home. "Sorry guys." She said. "I was babysitting Chris and had a hard time finding someone to pawn him off on. So, we've found the Dominators?"

"Yeah." Taranee said. She pointed to a dark grove of trees at the back of the yard. Ironwood stepped out of the shadows. "We're going to Zambala. And it could get rough. They've taken over the temple."

"Then let's go take it back." Will said. "Guardians Unite!"


	95. Episode Nineteen Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nineteen: "M.A.C.E., Part Two" Chapter Four

Zambala. The Guardians arrived alongside Ironwood, some distance from the temple. Immediately before them loomed a large object that resembled an enormous stone pinecone. "What the heck is that?" Alchemy wondered.

Ironwood answered "It is a Zambalan cocoon. When my people are threatened by a force beyond their ability to handle, they instinctively cocoon themselves in order to survive."

Taranee continued "The problem is, the behavior is basically intended for surviving things like forest fires. When they cocoon themselves for other threats, they can be so drained of energy that it's not possible to turn back on their own."

"Indeed." Ironwood said. "Guardians of earth and water, you were able to revive my people before. Can you do it again?"

"I'm sure we could." Cornelia said. "But I think maybe there's a more straightforward answer this time. Al?"

Alchemy realized everyone was looking at her. "Oh! Right, yeah I'll give it a try." she said. She walked to the cocoon, and placed both hands on it. Began to send healing energy into it. Within moments, the cocoon crumbled, freeing the still sleepy Zambalan within.

Ironwood laughed out loud. "Splendid!" It exclaimed. "Can you free the others as well?" Alchemy asked what others Ironwood was referring to. It pointed behind her. Turning, she saw thousands of cocoons, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Oh wow. I'm… Not sure I can do this many…" she said.

"Yes you can," Miranda said, "With a little help. We'll do this together. Of course it'll still take awhile. I'm afraid this'll leave us out of the fight."

Taranee said "That's actually best for now. Cass, I think you should stay clear at first too. We'll let them know about the three of you when it's to our advantage to do so."

Cassidy wasn't happy about this, but she knew Taranee was right. Still… "Hay Lin, c'mere a second." she said. When the Air Guardian was next to her, Cassidy used her new ability to channel the powers of the other Guardians, and turned invisible. She then thought to the others "I'll stay hidden and fly over the battle, relaying what I see."

"Aerial reconnaissance. I like." Said Irma. "Okay, let's do this thing."

Judas and Uriah were trying to wire up their newly stolen generator when they heard the first explosion. Moments later, Courtney's voice spoke into their minds. "Get out here everyone. We've got company."

"Again?" Uriah asked. "How many of these tree things are there? I thought we had gotten them all."

"It's not the trees." Courtney said. "We've been found."

Arriving at the temple gate, they saw Ironwood and the Guardians waiting for them. "Well well. I always knew you were a loser Uriah, but picking on poor defenseless plants? That's low even for you." Irma said.

"We'll show you low!" Judas said. "Dominators, Attack!" With a sudden roar, Bess and Sandra leapt out into the sky, attacking from where they had circled around behind. They intended to isolate and concentrate on Will first. Little did they know about Cassidy's 'eye in the sky' position. Before they reached her, Will swung around and fired a blast of lightning that sent them both falling to the ground.

"How'd she see that coming?" Judas wondered. "Oh well, Uriah, we're up."

Uriah flew low to the ground, under the cover of foliage, 'til he was directly underneath the Guardians. He then jumped up and unleashed the power of fear straight upwards. Meanwhile, Judas attacked from above, attempting a vertical pincer maneuver. Once again, however, Cassidy's intel prepared the Guardians in advance. By the time the Dominators were in position and attacked, the girls had moved clear.

"Something's up here." Judas thought to his teammates. "They're way too prepared for us. Regroup at the temple."

Meanwhile, Alchemy and Miranda were hovering low over the field of cocoons. "There's so many of them…" Alchemy said.

"You can do it." Miranda said. She reached out a hand and Alchemy took it. Together they closed their eyes and let the powers within build up. Then, in an instant, they let go, creating a huge aura of power that extended down across the field. They managed to keep it up for nearly twenty seconds before falling to the ground, exhausted.

Eyes closed, Alchemy asked "Did it work?"

Miranda looked around. Everywhere, cocoons were shaking and falling apart. "Oh yeah." she said. "We did it…"

Back at the temple, the Dominators hovered side by side. "Think everyone." Judas said. "Somehow they're anticipating our every move. How?"

"If I wasn't looking right at Hay Lin, I'd think she had gone invisible and was directing them from above." Bess said.

"But you are looking at her, so that can't be it." Uriah said.

Judas' eyes narrowed. "Don't be so sure." he said. "Sandra, give me a despair cloud, straight up above the Guardians…"

"Love to…" Sandra answered.

Hovering invisibly over the jungle, Cassidy suddenly felt a sensation familiar to her from the Dominator's attack on Meridian. She knew what was happening, but the power was so thick, so overwhelming, that she couldn't fight it. Losing her grip on the invisibility power she had borrowed from Hay Lin, she fell and was caught by Will and Cornelia.

Uriah's mouth hung open. "_Another_ Guardian!" he exclaimed. "What the heck is going on around here?"

"We've got ourselves an arms race Dunn-boy." Judas said. He stared straight at Ironwood. "And I've got a great idea for how to get back on top…"

Hay Lin hovered in front of Cassidy. "Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

Opening her eyes, Cassidy indicated to Will and Cornelia that she was okay to fly on her own again. "I'm fine Hay." she said. 'Wow, first time back out and I get sucker-punched… How embarrassing."

"Not at all." Elyon said. "I've taken that despair attack head on too, remember. It's no fun. But I guess our secret's out, so no sense hiding the others any longer…"

Alchemy and Miranda were already moving slowly back towards the temple, with the Zambalan army following, when they heard Will's voice. "How's it coming you two?" she asked them.

"Perfectly." Alchemy answered. "We're on the way back now."

"With an army in tow." Miranda added.

"Great. Listen, if the Zambalans are okay on their own, put on some speed. Our secret's out now that they've seen Cass. How quick can you be here?"

"Five minutes." Miranda said…


	96. Episode Nineteen Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Nineteen: "M.A.C.E., Part Two" Chapter Five

Judas stared at the Guardians. "Okay, here's the plan." he though to his teammates. "We focus on Elyon. They'll be extra cautious of their precious queen after all. Then when the time is right, I make my move."

"And what move is that?" Courtney asked.

"Trust me, you'd be proud." Judas thought. "Now, let's go." Following the plan, four of the Dominators split and went in different directions, looping around and converging together on Elyon's location. The fifth, Sandra, held her position and waited for the right moment to use her powers.

Judas and Bess attacked from the left. Blasts of hate and rage were fired at the queen, who managed to dodge them both, only to turn and see, too late to react, a blast of Uriah's fear power coming from the other way. Fortunately, Cornelia blocked it with a telekinetic shield. Less could be done about Courtney, who ran a dive bombing attack, zipping straight down from above and tackling Elyon to the ground.

Will and Taranee tried to engage Judas, but he simply teleported to the opposite side of the battleground and made another run towards Elyon just as the girl managed to throw Courtney off with an energy blast. Seeing Judas' attack coming, Cassidy positioned herself between Irma and Hay Lin, each of whom was busy with a different target. Channeling their powers, she launched a water attack from her left hand, and a wind blast from the right, freezing Judas in his tracks.

Recovering, Elyon flew back into the air. "Thanks Cass." she said.

Seeing her leader out of the fight, Bess dove down and struck the ice with all her might, freeing Judas from his frozen prison. "Now I'm _really_ mad." he thought. "Sandra, go for it."

Sandra started to cover the battlefield in an aura of despair. Before it could have any effect though, Sandra herself began to weaken. She looked towards the source of the power drain and saw Miranda and Alchemy. The Grumpers also saw. "Al… Alchemy?" they both exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's me. Y'know, for someone I thought of as friends once upon a time, you've really gone off the deep end."

Anger flared through Bess. "I'll show you off the deep end you little…" She jumped towards Alchemy, creating a lethal mass of rage energy as she went.

Will teleported in front of Alchemy. "Miranda, can you give me a little boost?"

"Coming up." Miranda answered. "Hope!" the blue light flowed around Will, who felt her powers increasing. She let go with all she had, a tremendous electrical surge that struck Bess squarely, disrupting her own energy and throwing her backwards.

Will glanced back at Miranda. "I could get used to that!" she exclaimed.

Seeing his chance, Judas made his move. He teleported directly next to Ironwood. Before the tree could react, Judas grabbed the Heart of Zambala out of Ironwood's grasp and teleported away. The Guardians saw, too late to stop him.

"Whoa. How did he do that?" Taranee wondered. "Hearts can't be taken against their keeper's will…"

"No. But My will has been weak since my failure." Ironwood said. "I felt I did not deserve the Heart. Perhaps that was enough…"

Judas stood atop the pinnacle of the temple, with two teammates on either side. The Guardians lined up in front of them, hovering in the air. He called out a challenge. "The way I see it," he said, "It's now two hearts versus two hearts. We're evenly matched now. And we play dirty. Why don't you just give up and save yourselves the trouble?"

Irma answered "The way I see it, it's five verses nine. The ball's in our court now. Why don't _you_ just give up and save _yourselves_ the trouble?"

Hearing an odd sound, Alchemy looked behind herself and saw the Zambalans arriving at last. "Five to nine Irma?" she said. "Looks to me like five to about nine _thousand. _I like those odds."

Staring down nine Guardians and the revived Zambalan army, Judas spat out a curse and opened a fold. "Next time, we really will be even." He said. The Dominators retreated through the fold and Zambala was once again in the hands of it's people…

Half an hour later, back in human form, the Guardians met in Will's apartment. "Judas with the Heart of Zambala…" Elyon mused. "This is bad any way you slice it."

"No kidding." Irma agreed. "But at least Zambala is free again."

Will said "Yeah, it's not a total loss. Maybe we should break out the map, see if they came back to earth through that fold…"

"Tomorrow." Cornelia said. "It's past midnight and we've got school."

"Alright." Will agreed with a yawn. "Anything else before we go?"

Irma said "Just that these four need their own name." She motioned towards the new Guardians and Elyon. If we're witch, then they're… what?"

"M.A.C.E." Cassidy said. The other girls smiled.

"I like it." said Caleb. "A mace is hard to learn to use, but it's a really good weapon once you master it."

Laughing, Cassidy said "Actually, I was thinking of the spray. But that works too."

Elsewhere in Heatherfield, the Dominators were flying together. "Where too?" Uriah wondered.

Judas answered him "Where do you think? We're heading back to the old hotel for now. It made a good hideout before, and it'll work again. Now be quiet and let me think. The Guardians are so very dead after this embarrassment… I just have to figure out how."

Flying on in silence, they soon arrived at their old hideout. Inside, Courtney said "Well, now that we're here I'm beat. I'm going to bed."

"Same here." Bess said.

Then, there arose the sound of soft laughter. "Going to bed?" A familiar voice said. "That's very rude when you have guests. But then again, rude is what I've come to expect from you." Prince Garix stepped out of the shadows. "I'll tell you what. Return mother to me, and I'll let you sleep… …forever…." Behind Garix, soldiers began filing into view…


	97. Episode Twenty Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty: "Enemy of my Enemy" Chapter One

Author's Note: Fans of Dean Koontz may recognize the military installation mentioned in this episode. 'Fear Nothing' and 'Seize the Night' are among my favorite books, so when I needed an army fort, I just couldn't resist…

Earth. The Vandom/Collins apartment. Will was awakened by the sound of insistent knocking on her bedroom door and the voice of Dean calling for her. Not a morning person on the best of occasions, she was barely able to wake up after being 'on duty' 'til well past midnight the preceding night. Still, some part of her mind recognized the urgency in his voice. Grumbling to herself, she rose and opened the bedroom door. "Dean? What time is it anyway?" she asked. Through half-closed eyelids she saw the clock on the hallway wall. "Five-ten? Dean I really need more sleep, we didn't get back from Zambala 'til like midnight…"

"I know Will," Dean apologized. "And I'm sorry. But there's something on the morning news you really, really need to see." Curious in spite of herself, Will followed her new stepfather into the living room where Susan was waiting in front of the television. One look at the images on the screen dispelled all remaining sleep from Will's mind: The news was showing a burning hotel building in downtown Heatherfield. Suddenly, a wall exploded outwards and the Dominators, in full powered up form, flew out. They were pursued by Garix and a contingent of Varthan soldiers.

The film ended and the morning news anchors appeared on the screen. "The film you've just seen was recorded earlier tonight by our own news-nineteen crews. Shortly after one a.m., fire and police crews were called to the site of the abandoned Ridgemont Hotel, where they found the structure engulfed in flames. Sounds of some kind of battle were heard from inside, and then, what you've just seen."

Another newscaster took over. "Yes, as incredible as it seems, what you saw was real: five young people flying out of the burning structure under their own power, pursued by armed soldiers and an unidentified being."

"Adding to the mystery," the first newscaster said, "is what we found when we used our computers to zoom in on the faces of the five winged youths." A blow-up of the Dominator's faces appeared on the television screen. "These five all bear uncanny resemblances to the five students missing from Sheffield Institute for the last several weeks."

Will exhaled sharply. "Well, there goes any hope that being older as Guardians would prevent people from recognizing us… Well, time to wake up the others I guess."

Soon, everyone was one again crowded into Will's apartment. "What I don't get," Irma was saying, "Is how Garix even got here. The veil's still up around Varthan isn't it?"

Taranee said "That's the easy part: We were too late. He was already here, waiting on the Dominators to come back. Honestly, I doubt Garix even cares about us at all right now. He just wants the Heart of Varthan back so he can free his-" Taranee fell silent. Her eyes grew wide. "Aw no!" she exclaimed.

Elyon grinned. "Yeah. I already thought of that, wondered how long it'd take for you to see it too." she said.

Cornelia stared at her best friend. "See what?"

"Judas doesn't just have the Heart of Varthan." The queen explained. "He also has the Heart of Zambala, a.k.a. the Heart that was used to create the veil around Varthan in the first place. If Garix gets it away from Judas…"

"…Hello armies of Varthan surging across dimensions to attack earth." Taranee finished.

"Okay… So what do we do then?" Alchemy asked.

With a deep sigh, Elyon said "I hate to suggest it, but maybe it's 'strategic alliance' time. Garix represents as much a threat to the Dominators as he does to the rest of us. And Judas, at least, seems smart enough to see that."

"Wait. You're suggesting we try working together with these dips?" Irma exclaimed.

"It wouldn't need to be a true alliance." Dean interjected from the sidelines. "Even if they just agreed to leave you alone 'til Garix is out of the picture, you'd both benefit."

"Good thinking." Elyon agreed.

Susan, keeping an eye on the muted television, said "Heads up girls. Something new." She raised the volume.

On screen, a young newswoman was speaking with a Heatherfield police representative. "What do the police make of these events?" she was asking. "And how do you respond to what both our own channel nineteen experts and others have noted regarding the similarity between these strange flying teens and the missing school students?"

"Regarding the fact that they were flying, our position is that they must have been wearing some kind of experimental military technology. We've contacted Fort Wyvern for answers, but they've not responded to us yet. As for the resemblance, surely your experts have pointed out that these teenagers are clearly several years older than the missing Sheffield Five. It's got to be a simple coincidence." The officer replied.

"I see." The reporter said. She was clearly unconvinced by the second answer, but then the cop seemed unconvinced by his own words as well. "And what of the strange men who were following them? In particular, the huge creature that looked disturbingly like a spider?"

"We have no answers regarding those questions at all."

Susan re-muted the television as they returned to the studio. "You girls are all buying scarfs to hide your faces." She said. "Scarfs… And maybe dark sunglasses…"

"Ooh, maybe wraparound visors, that'd look cool!" Hay Lin said.

Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Ugh. And you wonder why I'm the one they come to for fashion advice… Don't worry Mrs. Collins, I've got it covered. I'll go shopping right after school."

Fort Wyvern, one hundred miles southwest of Heatherfield. Deep in the base's extensive underground warrens, an emergency meeting was underway. Captain Anthony Ananias, father of Dominator leader Judas, had been summoned by his superiors at such an early hour that he knew something had to be very, very wrong. And, he mused, at Wyvern that was saying something.

General Stanrych sat at the head of the conference table, and began as soon as Anthony was seated. "Captain, I understand your son is still missing, is that right?"

"Yes General." Anthony replied, "And four of his friends as well. The police have been searching for leads for the last two months, but nothing has been found."

"Well son, we may have something now." The General said. "The following images were recorded at the site of a hotel fire in Heatherfield four hours ago. Watch closely." The news footage Will had seen was displayed on a large screen. At the end, the general backed it up and zoomed in on Judas' face. "This is your boy, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Though he looks different… older… What could have happened to him?"

One of the science techs, silent until now, spoke. "Sir, could this be the result of one of our internal issues? Perhaps the Mystery Train or Tornado Alley projects…"

"No!" Anthony shouted. "No, I refuse to accept that my own son has been compromised by that. Besides, both of those are dead and buried."

"I hope you're right Captain." General Stanrych said. "But whatever the explanation, we can't sit idly by. Prepare for deployment. We're getting to the bottom of this…"


	98. Episode Twenty Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty: "Enemy of my Enemy" Chapter Two

Thirty miles west of the city, the Dominators were gathered together in a small cave. "I think we finally lost them." Uriah said as he kept watch out the front. "Man, who knew Garix was that tough? I mean, we thumped him before."

"He's got a cause to fight for now." Judas said. "That, and his hate, are making him powerful. No worries though, I've still got this." He held up the Heart of Zambala.

Courtney said "You've gotta learn how to use it first."

"Bah, how hard could it be?"

"Well hurry up then." Bess said. "Don't forget, we've still got the Guardians as well as Garix. I know they won't team up with him, but he could create opportunities for them."

Judas scowled. "Yeah… he could…"

The Guardians arrived at school to find a madhouse. Television news crews were everywhere, as were police and a huge crowd of concerned parents. There were no visible ways to get into the school building, so massive was the crowd, and it was growing worse every minute. "Wow." Hay Lin said. "What'dya wanna bet they cancel for the day on account of all this?"

"Nickelbocker?" Irma replied, "Nah, she'll call in the national guard to force open a way in before she cancels." A loud roaring sound, that of a massive engine, grew quickly behind them. Turning, the girls saw a convoy of military jeeps and Humvees. "Holy crud! I was just kidding!" Irma exclaimed.

"C'mon," Will said. "Let's get out of sight and slip in." Together they ducked around a corner into an alley and teleported into an empty classroom.

In the Principal's office, Nickelbocker was meeting with the two detectives who were leading the investigation into her student's disappearance. "This is turning into a media circus." The male detective grumbled.

"I know." His partner agreed. "Don't these fools realize they're just making our job harder this way?"

"They know. They just don't care."

Leaning forward in her seat, the Principal asked "Please tell me honestly, Do you have any ideas at all about what's really going on with our children? These missing five were all trouble, hard cases, but they were still my students. I hate to think something terrible may have happened to them."

"We really don't have any answers ma'am." The female detective said. "But the army is sending soldiers in from Fort Wyvern in regards to what happened with them at the Ridgemont last night, so hopefully they'll give us some answers… assuming they don't call it classified."

Moments later General Stanrych and Captain Ananias entered the office. Recognizing Judas' father from when he had enrolled his son, Nickelbocker rose and greeted him. "Captain, it's good to see you again, though I wish it was under better circumstances."

Raising one eyebrow, the male detective asked 'You know each other?"

"This is Judas Ananias' father, detective." Nickelbocker explained.

"You don't say?" The detective replied. He turned to the General 'Sir, if it's acceptable to you, I would like to take the Captain along with me on my investigations today. I suspect he might be useful to me."

"Understood detective. Captain, you're at this officer's disposal for the rest of the day…"

Shortly thereafter, Captain Ananias and Detective Cole were sitting in Cole's department-issue sedan, just outside the school's grounds. "So, where are we going to start Detective?" Anthony asked.

Cole sat quietly for a moment. Just when Anthony was starting to think he wouldn't answer at all, Cole turned to face him. "Captain, we're starting right here at the school. There are some students we're going to be following when they leave at the end of the day."

"You suspect other students?" Anthony asked. "Then why sit here all day waiting? Let's go in and talk to them…" Anthony started to get out of the car, but Cole grabbed his arm.

"Hold on Cap. These students aren't suspects. Not in the least, I'm sure they aren't actually guilty… But I'm equally certain that they know something… There's just been too much weirdness with them lately. And that's also why we're just sitting here all day. It'll take me that long to fill you in…"

True to Irma's prediction, Nickelbocker refused to cancel classes. Students were escorted in by police and military, who also kept the crowd of reporters at bay. As a result, the actual school day within the building was surprisingly normal, as long as you didn't look out any windows. And even that got better, as the crowd dispersed by lunchtime.

At the end of the day the girls left school and headed to the mall, where Cornelia selected what she referred to as 'appropriately coordinated' disguises to hide their faces while in Guardian form. They then headed for Shell Beach to transform and try out the new purchases. On the way, Taranee noticed something. "Hey, I just realized, where'd all the army guys go?"

Looking about, everyone realized she was right. They hadn't seen a single soldier or military vehicle since before school. "Maybe they decided it was an overreaction." Will said. "Or maybe they're focusing on specific places, like that hotel that burned down."

"Maybe… …This feels wrong though…" Taranee said. As they continued on their way, they failed to notice the police-issue sedan following at a discreet distance…

Several miles south of town, the Dominators knelt on a cliff top looking down on the valley below. They had been drawn here out of curiosity after hearing the sounds of gunfire from the nearby cave where they were hiding out. Below, on the valley floor, a pitched battle was being fought between General Stanrych's men, and the elite soliders of Varthan accompanying Prince Garix. The human soldiers had their opponents massively outnumbered, and outgunned as well. They most likely would have won in short order had the Varthanians been alone. Garix, however, was an impressive equalizer.

"The army guys aren't doing to bad." Uriah noted. "You think they'll win?"

Judas answered "In a sense. They'll never take out Garix, they'd need to drop a nuke to pull that off. But, Garix isn't going to waste the lives of all of his men on this either. He'll retreat as soon as he feels like he's made his point about how tough he is."

Sure enough, the teens soon saw Judas was correct. Garix signaled for a controlled retreat and his soldiers pulled back, escaping through a fold to some other world. Below, Stanrych and his men watched in disbelief as their opponents simply vanished.

At Shell Beach, the Guardians gathered in a cave. Cornelia handed out the new disguises. "Okay Will," she said, "let's change and see how this looks."

Will transformed them, but before anything more could happen, they heard a voice. "Well well. I knew there was something up with you girls, but I never would've thought of something like this." Turning, startled, they saw Detective Cole and Captain Ananias. "Now then, ladies, it's time for us to talk…"


	99. Episode Twenty Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty: "Enemy of my Enemy" Chapter Three

Cole and Anthony stood facing the Guardians in a cave on Shell Beach. Irma, trying to think fast, stepped forward and waved her arms. "Ooo… You're dreaming…." She said.

"Cut the crap Lair." Cole said. "I want answers. And frankly, so does Judas' father." He said as he motioned toward Anthony.

"You're Judas' dad?" Hay Lin said. 'Sir, I'm so sorry for what's happened, I can't imagine how you feel."

"Listen girls, I don't know what this is about. But I don't think you're to blame. In fact, I kind of think you really want to help." Cole looked at Will. "Guardians. That's what you said right? It sounds like a good thing. If I'm right about that, then help me out here."

Anthony said "Yes, please… I want my son back."

Into the telepathic link, Cornelia thought "Okay girls, I'm going to be very calm here… WHAT DO WE DO?"

Will answered "We do this: Miranda, give Irma as much of a boost as you can without a noticeable blue glow. Irma, mind-game times. Let them remember meeting 'the Guardians' and what we'll tell them about Varthan and the Dominators, but not who we are or any details that could lead them to figuring us out."

"I'll try," Irma answered, "but I wish Cass was here to copy me and help out."

"Hang on, are we sure it's wise to even let them remember about us as Guardians?"

"I think we have to." Will said. "For one thing, it's like Xan Jing told me in that vision: people are gonna find out sooner or later. And for another thing… Look at Judas' dad. This is tearing him apart, not knowing what's happened to his son…"

Cornelia sighed. "Alright. Irma, make double sure you don't miss anything." Turning their attention back to the two adults, the Guardians gave a condensed version of the truth, editing out any details that could be used to identify them.

When they were finished, Cole said "That's quite a story. And I think maybe I buy it. Maybe. So if what you say is true, what do we need to do? How do we save these kids and get rid of this Prince Garix?"

"And why Judas?" Anthony asked. "Why did they choose my son, out of all the kids in the world they could have gone for instead?"

"I don't think there's much you can do." Taranee said. "In the end, this is kinda our job."

"And as for why Queen Neera chose the kids she did… I'm sorry sir, but we honestly don't know. Maybe it was random."

"Random." Anthony mused. "No. No, I can't lie to myself. I know why my boy was chosen. He's been falling for a long time, getting angrier, more withdrawn, more full of hate. I lost him a long time ago."

Hay Lin stepped forward, put a hand on the Captain's shoulder. "He's not lost for good."

"Can you be sure? I can't. It started when his mother died. He was too young at the time to understand that she didn't have a choice. He felt like she abandoned him, and he was angry at her. Then, as he got older, he never let go of that rage. He just spread it out to the rest of the world. And now I fear he's gone forever."

Miranda said "Sir, let me tell you a story. I'm not from here, not from earth." Cole and Anthony stared at her when she revealed that. "Where I'm from, my people have enemies that are very prejudiced towards us. When I was four years old, some of them attacked my family's village. I was the only survivor. My mother… well, I won't tell you how she saved me, it'd be too much for you to take in on top of everything else. She died in the act of saving me, though."

"Anyway," Miranda continued, "After that, I grew up angry, hateful, sad. Just like Judas, but worse. I was lost like he is, until I found friends who helped me see the good in the world, in other people… in me. If I could go from what I was to what I am, if I could be saved, anyone can. Don't give up."

Anthony stood up straighter, composed himself. "Thank you young lady."

Cole asked "Are you certain there's nothing the police or military can do to help?"

"The biggest help you can give us," Taranee said, "Is to pass on the word that we're on your side, so hopefully no one starts shooting at us."

"Also, in addition to us, there's a big guy with black wings and a pair that look kind of like werewolves. The Regents of Earth. They're on our side too." Will said.

Cole glanced over at Anthony. "I can't speak for the army, but I will pass on the word to my superiors, along with my opinion that you're on the level."

"I'll do the same," Anthony said, "though like Detective Cole I can't make any promises."

Cole and Anthony started to leave, then Cole turned back. "One more thing girls. I know it doesn't really matter anymore, but I hate not knowing. Back when my partner and I were investigating Elyon's disappearance, and then she showed back up out of nowhere… What was really going on?"

"I'm from the same world as Miranda." Elyon explained. "My adoptive parents bought me to earth as a baby to keep me safe from my older brother who wanted to kill me. When I disappeared for a while, it was because I was back in Meridian, dealing with him."

"Why would your own brother want to kill you?" Anthony asked.

"Because he wanted the throne for himself and couldn't get it without eliminating the rightful heir." Irma said.

Cole was finally dumbfounded. "Throne?" he repeated. "Then Elyon is…" he started laughing. "Ah, why the heck not? It's no worse than the rest of it."

Watching the men leave, the girls hoped they had made the right choice. Then Alchemy said "Miranda? Forgive me, and don't answer, if it's too personal, but how did your mother save you?" Everyone looked at her. Clearly Alchemy had simply expressed the question they all had on their minds.

"It's okay Al. I only didn't tell them because bringing shape shifting in on top of everything else seemed like piling too much on them." Miranda said. "As for what happened… She knew they were coming. There were too many to fight and no time to run. So, she turned into a creature called a Marid. It's basically Meridian's equivalent of an elephant. She turned into one, with me inside, too far inside for the Hillbourne's swords to reach me. They wounded her, mortally wounded, and moved on. Then after they were gone, she used the last of her strength to turn back and release me."

"Wow." Irma said.

"Yeah." Cornelia agreed. "Okay let's do what we came here to do, then maybe we can head to the Dragon for a snack. I'm starved."


	100. Episode Twenty Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty: "Enemy of my Enemy" Chapter Four

Having put on the new disguises Cornelia purchased for them, the Guardians flew together over the city. They headed straight for the Silver Dragon, putting on a burst of speed as they approached, in the hopes of insuring no one would see them flying in and landing in the back alley. Once on the ground, they used the back entrance into the basement, where they found Yan Lin and Cassidy waiting for them.

The older woman was facing away, busily working on something, but Cassidy turned to look as they came in. She saw the disguise scarfs they were wearing and started laughing. "What are you wearing?" she tried to say, but could barely get a word of it out between her laughs. "Oh, Yanni, you gotta see this!" She managed to say.

Turning to look, Yan Lin also began laughing hysterically.

"Oh yeah." Irma said to Cornelia, "You're the one we go to for fashion advice alright."

"What's so funny?" Cornelia demanded. "I'll have you know these are hundred dollar Armani! I had to break into my college fund to buy them!"

While Yan Lin continued to laugh, Cassidy started to gain control of herself. "I'm sorry Corny." She said. "The scarfs are very nice. But they look ridiculous with the rest of the outfits, that's all."

Elyon said "I didn't want to say anything, but Cass is right."

"Yeah, totally." Alchemy agreed.

"Okay so maybe I misfired. For once. But, we need some kind of disguise on earth!"

Finally recovered, Yan Lin replied "Indeed you do. But there's a better way than absurd fashion accessories. Come, sit. I'll fill you in…"

Fort Wyvern. Anthony finished giving his report about how he and Detective Cole had met a mysterious group of young women who called themselves 'the Guardians', and what they had said about the strange events occurring in Heatherfield. He sat to await questions from his superiors. It was a short wait.

Captain, you say that you believe these individuals were being truthful." General Stanrych said. "Why?"

Anthony answered "Three reasons sir. The first is simply intuition. Something about them just seemed on the level. Secondly, a lot of what they said, about different worlds and forces beyond our understanding, fits in with what we've already learned from the ill-fated Mystery Train experiments. And finally… Sir, if they were lying they would've had an answer for every question. They didn't. Sometimes they didn't know the answers. And they admitted to that fact."

"Sound logic Captain." The General agreed.

A Sargent asked for permission to speak. Stanrych nodded to him. "Sir, shouldn't we be preparing to locate and capture these so called Guardians? Captain Ananias' convictions aside, we have no proof that they aren't also a danger."

"We will make preparations, yes." Stanrych answered. "But we won't proceed. I don't like it, but we can't handle the sorts of forces that are at work here on our own. If there's a shot at gaining allies who can deal with this, we need to take it. So long as these Guardians don't show any signs of treachery, we'll give them space and hope they can be trusted."

"Thank you sir." Anthony said.

"Now then, tell me again exactly what they told you about these power sources, these 'hearts.'" Anthony nodded and began to cover the material again…

At the Dragon, Yan Lin stood facing Will. "Now then," she said, "It's time to teach you something I suppose I should have done a long time ago. A way of disguising yourselves from the masses. Will, hold out the Heart and say the words 'Esiugsid ruo secaf.'"

Will did as she was told, and all of the girls briefly felt a slight tingle and a faint rush of air. Nothing more happened, and they didn't look or feel any different than before. "Okay, I give up." Irma said. 'What did that just do?"

Cassidy answered "The words Will just said were 'Disguise our faces' backwards. From now on, unless Will says the words again, anyone who doesn't already know us personally will be magically prevented from recognizing us or making the connection if they see us in both forms, or even in photographs."

"Yes indeed." Yan Lin added. "A much better disguise than overpriced scarves, eh?"

Cornelia exclaimed "Hello? Armani? A hundred bucks each was a bargain… Oh forget it. I'll never live this down will I?"

Alchemy put an arm around Cornelia's shoulder. 'Sure you will. It'll just take, oh, I dunno… three years?"

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"Remember girls," Yan Lin said, "This spell only effects people who don't already know you personally. Family, friends, boyfriends, perhaps even schoolmates and teachers, will still be able to potentially recognize you."

"But the police and army won't, right?" Will asked. "And they're what matters.

"Them and the news people." Elyon said.

"That's right." Cassidy said. "And now that we're safer, what say you power me up and we go find the Dominators?"

"We'll stop at my place and try the map again." Will said. She held up the Heart towards Cassidy. "Guardian Unite!"

Ivalice. Garix and his men had retreated here after the battle with the human's army. The Prince stood in the chill night air, staring towards the lights of a distant city he had tentatively identified as Rabinastre. "Aljax, attend to me!" he shouted.

Stepping forward, Aljax bowed low and said "I attend, my Prince. Speak and I obey."

"We shall go forth into the city and acquire supplies by whatever means necessary." Garix said. "When we retreated, I chose this world because its magic is potent. We will gather new weapons and armor, enchanted if possible, and then return to earth. And when we return Guardians, Dominators, and human armies alike will tremble…"

"I understand." Aljax replied. "If I may ask, O Prince, should we not consider attempting acquire the Heart of Ivalice as well? Surely it would aid us."

Garix sighed deeply. "A fine idea, save for the detail that it is impossible. The Heart of this world is too heavily guarded to acquire without already having another Heart. Not to mention that it is a person rather than an artifact. No, I will not squander our already depleted forces on a fool's errand. Now then, let us go…"


	101. Episode Twenty Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty: "Enemy of my Enemy" Chapter Five

In her family's apartment, Will unrolled the enchanted map and held the Heart over it. The other Guardians watched as she concentrated on the question "Where are the Dominators?" After a short moment, a set of five red 'X's appeared, all clustered together.

"There they are." Taranee said. "Looks like they're sticking close to each other, a little ways west of town."

"Well, let's go try to talk to them." Irma said.

Cornelia spoke up, "Are we sure that's the right thing to do? It's not like they're likely to be in a talking mood."

"No they're not." Elyon agreed. "But we have to try. After all, between Garix, the army, and the fact that the dark power they have is toxic, we're really the only chance they have."

"Exactly. Let's go." Will said.

Elsewhere, a fold opened at the head of a narrow ravine. From it emerged Prince Garix and his soldiers. The soldiers were all wearing new armor and carried new weapons and other gear stolen from the world called Ivalice. "Now we are ready." Garix thought to himself. "Now we will prevail."

Sitting in the backseat of her parent's car, Lillian Hale was flush with excitement about the day's events. "Wasn't it cool how those guys on the news were flying?" she asked. "And what about all the army guys who were in town this morning? It's been a big day!"

Harold and Elizabeth exchanged a glance in the front seat. Both knew the other was thinking the same thing; "We need to talk with someone about all this, and how it concerns Lillian."

While Harold drove, Elizabeth turned around in her seat and said "Lillian, how would you like to have dinner at the Silver Dragon tonight?"

"That sounds good!" the girl answered. She reached across her seat and pulled Napoleon into her lap. "But can we bring Napoleon and Huggles?"

"I'm afraid not dear. They don't allow animals into restaurants except for guide dogs." Elizabeth answered.

"Phooey."

West of Heatherfield, Uriah was still keeping watch when he saw the Guardians approaching. "Heads up," he thought to his teammates, "we've got company." Moments later the other four Dominators teleported to his side.

As the girls approached, each of the Dominators charged up a mass of energy, but didn't shoot. They were surprised to see the Guardians not attacking either. In fact, Sandra noticed, Will was carrying a small white flag. "White flag? Are they surrendering?" she thought.

Judas answered "Nah. White flags don't just mean surrender, they also mean 'we want to talk.' Be on guard, but let them come, I wanna see what they've got to say."

Soon, the two teams were standing facing each other on the canyon rim. "Okay girls, if you want to talk I'm game." Judas said. "What's the deal?"

Elyon said "The deal is this: We know you'll never willingly surrender, that if you're stopped it'll be because we fought you to a stop. But, for right now, we should agree to, if nothing more, a cease fire between us. There's a more pressing concern after all. A common enemy."

"You mean Garix." Bess said. "Why should we put aside our war over him?"

"Yeah." Courtney agreed. "We can handle you both."

"That's questionable." Taranee said. "But, even if you are right it's an awful risk, especially for you five."

A flicker of doubt crossed Sandra's face. "What do you mean 'especially for us?'"

Will pointed at the Heart of Zambala which Judas was still holding. "We mean that thing. That is the Heart that put the veil over Varthan. Should Garix manage to get his hands on it, he could dismantle the veil. And you know what happens then…"

Uriah paled as he saw the implications. "M-maybe we should listen to them, just this once." he thought to Judas.

"Agreed." Judas thought back. He turned back to the Guardians. "Alright girls, I'll tell you what… Until Garix is out of the picture, we won't bother you at all. IF you'll agree to leave us alone when we do thing you disapprove of, y'know, shoplifting and such…"

"I don't like that addendum." Taranee thought.

"Me either, but it's the best we're going to get out of them." Irma answered.

"I think so too." Will thought. "It's 'take what you can get' time for now."

"You have a deal." Elyon said. "But when Garix is dealt with, count on us making up for everything you've done right now."

Judas grinned. "I would expect nothing less. Now if you'll excuse us, we're in the market for a new hideout." The Dominators all teleported away.

Hay Lin let out an exasperated breath. "I really don't like that guy."

"Count us all in on that Hay Hay." Irma said putting an arm around her friend. "Now let's get back to civilization. I've got a date with Martin…"

Cornelia walked in her front door to find the rest of her family waiting. "Get cleaned up dear," Elizabeth said. "We're going out for dinner."

"Warn me a little sooner why don't you?" she mumbled. "Gimme five minutes."

Cornelia rushed to the bathroom to clean up, only to find her mother had followed her. "We're going to the Silver Dragon." Elizabeth said.

"Okay… Is something up that you're telling me this specifically?"

"We're hoping Yan Lin will have some time to speak with us. About Lillian. Your father and I are still worried about how to best raise someone with the kind of power she's going to inherit. Not to mention when to tell her."

Cornelia looked her mother in the eyes for a moment. "Wow. Mom I'm sorry, it hadn't even occurred to me how stressful knowing about Lil would be for you guys. I'll keep her busy when we get there, so you can talk."

"Thanks. I just hope Yan Lin can help us out…"


	102. Episode TwentyOne Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-One: "War on Three Fronts" Chapter One

Heatherfield. The Silver Dragon. When the Hales entered the front doors, Cornelia winked at her mother and said "I think Mom and Dad need to clean up a little more. C'mon Lil, let's find a table."

"Alone with YOU?" Lillian exclaimed.

"That's right brat, and you'd better behave if you know what's good for you. Now c'mon. already will you?" Cornelia dragged Lillian towards her favorite table.

Watching the spectacle, Harold couldn't help but chuckle. "All that power and they still act like normal kids. I'm not sure if that should relieve me or terrify me."

Elizabeth answered "I'm leaning towards 'relieve.' Anyway, let's see if we can find Yan Lin before Lillian starts wondering where we are."

Following a hallway leading towards the kitchen, the Hales were soon intercepted by a familiar, black, furry friend. "Mrs. Lin's downstairs if you need her." Napoleon said.

After joining the cat at the top of the basement stairs, Elizabeth knelt down and asked "How in the world did you get here?"

"Teletransport's not just for Guardians." He answered. "I'm Lillian's Regent, there's no way I'm leaving her unguarded. Anyway, like I said Mrs. Lin's down here." The cat turned and headed down the stairs. Both Hales shrugged and followed.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Cornelia had her hands full dealing with her little sister. Lillian was bouncy and energetic, going on and on about how cool the day's events had been. "They drove right by the school!" Lillian was saying. "They had tanks and everything!"

"Yeah. That's like, SO not even on my radar."

"Oh come on Cornelia! You know the kids this weird stuff has happened to! You've gotta care a little!" Lillian insisted. "I mean, what if the army guys, like, blow them up or something?"

"It'd make my job easier, that's for sure." Cornelia murmured under her breath.

Moments later, the front doors opened again, admitting Hay Lin, Elyon, and Eric. Seeing Cornelia, they headed to her table and slid into empty seats. "Wow. Never thought I'd see you bring Lillian anywhere on your own." Elyon said.

"She didn't." Lillian said. "Mom and Dad are here somewhere." Standing up in her seat, the younger sister scanned the room looking for her parents. "Where'd they go anyway?"

"Please keep her occupied." Cornelia thought to her teammates. She then said "Lil, I'm gonna go find them. Can I trust you to behave for my friends?"

"Sure. I LIKE them."

"Why you little… Oh never mind, stay here I'll be right back." Cornelia hurried away.

Swiftly, silently, virtually undetectably, a fleet of Predator reconnaissance drones flew over the hills and valleys south and west of Heatherfield, following an advanced search algorithm designed to cover the most territory in the least time. Their intended mission was to locate any signs of the Dominators, or Prince Garix and his own troops. Telemetry from the drones was fed back to analysts and observers at Fort Wyvern, where General Stanrych waited with his own troops, eager to finish what he had started earlier in the day.

A knock came at the office door, and Stanrych called out for the visitor to enter. He recognized the thin man who entered as one of the best data analysts in his division. "What have you got?" Stanrych asked.

"Good news General. Predator A5-996 just hit pay dirt near Hectate Canyon. The being identified as 'Prince Garix' and his entourage of soldiers, emerging from some kind of spatial anomaly identical to the one you described them as disappearing into."

"Excellent work." Stanrych said. "I'll be deploying against them immediately. Meanwhile, you get back down to data feed and keep me up to date on what you're seeing."

"Yes sir." The man saluted and walked away. Stanrych telephoned Captain Ananias and told him to have his men ready to move out in five minutes. He then rushed to join them.

Cornelia rushed down into the basement, where she caught up with Harold and Elizabeth just as they were being welcomed by Yan Lin, who sat with Napoleon in her lap. "Cornelia? Who's with your sister?" Harold asked.

"El and Hay Lin showed up." Cornelia explained. "I asked them to keep an eye on her."

"That's settled then." Yan Lin said. "So, what brings you here?"

Harold began, "It's about Lillian. We're just worried about how to raise someone who's going to inherit as much power as you all tell us she's going to have someday. How can we be sure we're making the right choices for Lillian when she's… when she's…"

"The Heart of Earth." Elizabeth finished.

Yan Lin smiled. "I understand your concerns. But I think you're worried for nothing. Aren't you raising Lillian the same way you raised Cornelia? She's turned out alright hasn't she?"

"Aside from nine hundred dollars missing from her college fund for a set of Armani scarfs, I'd say so." Elizabeth said.

Cornelia threw up her hands. 'Hold on, I've got a good explanation for that!" She exclaimed. "I was gonna tell you before you saw it, and besides, when you get the next invoice you'll see they've been returned."

"Well… Alright, but even so that had better be a danged good explanation." Elizabeth said. She turned back to Yan Lin. "So, you're saying, what? That we should just raise her normally and try not to worry?"

"You'll worry. I worry about Hay Lin every day. But yes, you have to try."

Okay… But, what about telling her? When will she be old enough to know?" Harold asked.

"I know it's your choice now that you know." Cornelia said, "But for what it's worth, the girls and I had planned on telling her when she reached the same age we were when we first got our powers, like twelve or thirteen."

"There is wisdom in this." Yan Lin said. "In the end, you want to strike a balance between Lillian being, on the one hand, old enough to use her power responsibly, and on the other hand, young enough to adapt to it with a minimum of difficulty. Twelve or thirteen is the prime age range for that balance."

"She won't be alone either." Napoleon said. "She'll have the Regents and the Guardians. Not to mention that Elyon has already said she'll help Lillian. You can't beat one Heart teaching another."

Cornelia then heard a call for help in her mind. "Um, we better step this up folks. Hay Lin just sent an s.o.s. about Lil getting VERY curious about what's taking us so long."

"Sounds like our call." Elizabeth said. "Yan Lin, thank you."

"Of course dear."


	103. Episode TwentyOne Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty One: "War on Three Fronts" Chapter Two

Hectate Canyon, south of Heatherfield. Judas and Bess crouched low, peering over the rocks of the canyon rim, down to where Prince Garix had recently returned to earth with his soldiers. "Hmmm…" Judas mused, "The soldiers are wearing different armor. I wonder just what our Prince has been up to?"

Bess glanced over at her leader. "What? You think this armor means something important? Maybe it's just something they found."

"I doubt it. They've been somewhere. Remember, they ran off to some other world after that last fight. My money says Garix chose someplace where he could upgrade."

"So what do we do then?" Bess asked.

Judas replied, "Well, seeing as we don't need to worry about the Guardians until Garix is down for the count, I say we get the others and see just what Garix has up his sleeves now."

"You're assuming we can trust the Guardians to keep their word." Bess noted.

"Yeah. That's a risk. But c'mon Bess, you know them. Do you really think they'd go back on their word? They're not really like us."

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, let's go." Together, they teleported back to where Sandra, Courtney, and Uriah were waiting on them.

"What's the word?" Uriah asked.

"The word is we move out. Garix is back, and we're gonna take him on again, but this time we do it on our terms." Judas answered. He held up the Heart of Varthan. "Dominators Unite!"

Meanwhile, Garix was standing at the head of the canyon, Aljax by his side. "These new weapons and armor should make an impressive difference my Prince." Aljax said.

"I hope so. Never forget, though, the warrior matters more than his weapons." Garix turned to Aljax. "Have you any results yet? Any lock on the Dominator's location?"

"Not as yet… however, there is a very strong residual signal coming from the rock outcropping just above us. I suspect they may have been waiting for our return, and know that we are back. If so, perhaps they are running again."

Garix mumbled something softly to himself. Thought for a moment. Finally said "Perhaps. Or perhaps they plan to ambush us here. Judas will not run forever, he's not the type. Sooner or later he will turn and attack. Perhaps it will happen now."

Before Aljax could answer, the first attack came. But not from where he expected…

Matt and Caleb were practicing their fighting skills in Elyon's backyard. Will, Irma, Martin, and Alchemy were present, watching the carnage. "I still don't see the point of this, at least for Matt." Martin said. "I mean, what's a sword to a guy who can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes?"

"It's a matter of preparation sweetie." Irma answered. "You know, we've been caught without our powers a few times. And when it happens, it's usually been Caleb or Blunk to the rescue."

Hearing his name, Blunk popped up from underneath the house. "Someone call for Blunk?" he asked.

"Where did you come from?" Will asked.

"Nice house in sewer collapse." Blunk sighed. "Stay here in basement while rebuilding."

"Does Elyon know about this?" Alchemy asked.

Irma said "Are you kidding? There's no way she doesn't know with that smell of his…" She paused, realizing something. "Hey! I don't smell you! What happened?"

Blunk shuddered. "Terrible accident." He replied. "Blunk fell into vat of… …cologne…"

Everyone started laughing, even as Will asked "Cologne? But I don't smell it, I just don't smell you either…"

"Maybe the two strong scents cancelled each other out." Martin suggested.

"Yes, yes, Terrible!" Blunk said. "Nothing Blunk do get his smell back! Even cat can't smell Blunk now! Horror!"

Irma reached over to Blunk and put an arm around him. "Smell or no, we still love you little guy." She said. Blunk blushed a darker green.

"Anyway," Will said, "As we were saying, even with powers, training in regular combat is a good idea. Actually, I've been planning to talk to the other Guardians about getting in some practice time ourselves."

"It's a good idea." Alchemy agreed. "And, seeing as you're hanging out with our crowd Martin, you should join in too."

"Yeah! Join the fun man!" Matt yelled to Martin as he dodged a series of swings from Caleb's sword.

"Maybe…" Martin said. He seemed less than convinced…

Hectate Canyon. Aljax was thrown violently backwards by a huge explosion. Before he could get his bearings, two more detonations rocked the area. He heard Garix shouting to the soldiers. "A promotion to the first man to bring down a foe with the new armor's abilities!" the Prince shouted. A rallying cry arose from the troops, who surged to meet the enemy. Sitting up, Aljax looked to see their attackers. He had expected to see the Dominators, but instead saw a large division of human soldiers and their war machines.

General Stanrych watched the carnage through his binoculars. "Excellent aim." He congratulated the gunners behind him. "That first shot almost hit the second-in-command. I think he's out of the fight for now."

"Sir, the enemy is advancing." Captain Ananias observed.

Turning his attention to the left flank, Stanrych saw Anthony was correct. All of the alien soldiers were now approaching at a run. This worried the General, who knew that the enemy couldn't be unaware of how badly they were outnumbered. Several hundred to one, at the least. "An enemy that can't win and advances anyway is an enemy with a trick up it's sleeve." He thought to himself. He turned to Anthony and said "Warn the men to be cautious. Something's not right about this."

Moments later, the two forces met. It didn't take long for Stanrych's fears to be confirmed…

Above the newly met battle, the air briefly rippled as five forms materialized from thin air. The Dominators looked down to see the battle beginning. "Whoa. You didn't say the army was here too." Uriah said.

Judas answered "They weren't. I should've known though. I'll bet anything my old man's down there somewhere. Leave it to him to crash our party."

"Do we leave, then?" Sandra asked.

"Not a chance." Judas answered. "Varthan's army split two ways? This is too good a chance to pass up. Dominators, Attack!" Together, they dove into the thick of the fighting…

Author's Note: Blunk's "cologne vat" experience will be detailed as a part of one of my planned follow-up short stories, "Blunk and Napoleon's Excellent Adventure." Look for it a few weeks after I finish up this story .


	104. Episode TwentyOne Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-One: "War on Three Fronts" Chapter Three

Miranda walked hand in hand with Gideon through the sprawling shopping mall. They had already watched a movie and eaten dinner together, and now they were simply enjoying each other's company. "So," Gideon said, "I've not really had a chance to formally ask you yet… Would you like to go to the dance next week? Together I mean. I'll be on stage for half of it, but that's still plenty of time for us."

"I'd like that." Miranda answered, even as a new concern occurred to her.

"Good. I wasn't sure you'd be clear to stay out that late, what with your probation and all." Gideon said.

"Normally no. But they're really very understanding about special circumstances. I've already got an extension approved. Of course, it'll be nice when the probation period is over, but that's a long time off."

"How long exactly?"

"A couple years." Miranda answered.

Gideon looked to her in surprise. "That's pretty harsh." He said. Glancing around, he noticed what was being shown on the televisions in an electronics store. "Whoa! Look at that!" Together they walked to the store window. On all of the monitors were images of the battle at Hectate Canyon, however they could hear nothing through the soundproof glass.

Miranda let her thoughts slip into the Guardian mind-link. "We have a situation." She said to the other girls. "Get to a television quick…"

Hectate Canyon. As General Stanrych watched, the two armies met. The vastly outnumbered Varthan soldiers quickly proved that they were no longer outgunned. One faced an approaching tank. He raised an arm, and energy began to flicker around him, flowing out of crystals set into the new armor he was wearing. He spoke a single word: "Thundara." Instantly, a powerful bolt of lightning rocketed down from the clear, cloudless sky to strike the tank. The vehicle, armored against physical attacks but not magic, never stood a chance. It burst into flames, then exploded as it's fuel and munitions detonated.

Across the canyon, Prince Garix' other soldiers began performing similar feats. Some copied the first man in using lightning attacks. Others attacked with fire, ice, and even small tornados. Aghast, Stanrych began issuing orders, trying to outflank the enemy, which was still massively outnumbered. Then things got even worse…

As Stanrych looked on, five figures dove down from the heavens. Together, the Dominators began attacking everyone in sight. "Focus on Garix and his men." Judas thought to his teammates, "But anyone who gets in our way is fair game."

Bess leapt high into the sky, then crashed down onto a tank that was bearing down on her. She unleashed the full power of rage, smashing the vehicle's turret into crumpled garbage.

Uriah laughed as he saw Bess's attack. "Hey Bess," he thought to her, "Hulk Smash!"

"You are such a dweeb." She replied. "And look out behind you."

Turning, Uriah saw three Varthan soldiers running at him from one direction, and a group of eight U.S. army troops coming from another. He spread his arms wide and released the power of fear onto both groups. It was like they had run into a brick wall, all of them stopping dead in their tracks. One man from Varthan and three of the humans turned and ran, but the rest fell to the ground and began trying to attack from the cover of rocks and brush.

While half of the remaining human soldiers opened fire on Uriah's position, the rest tried to attack the two men from Varthan. For their part, Garix' men ignored the humans as the lesser threat and concentrated on Uriah, as well as Bess when she rejoined him. Both drew on the power in their armor to cast the Aeroga spell, which summoned small tornados which began to pursue Uriah as he fled from them.

Bess, overcome with the power of rage, tried to attack the twisters. It didn't end well for her. She was spun about and thrown clear across the battlefield. Looking up after impact, she saw that while one of the funnels was still chasing Uriah, the one she had tangled with was now coming for her. Seeing what was happening, Judas thought to them both, "Put your new friends to good use. Get them to chase you right into the middle of the other troops."

Moments after sending this advice, Judas was blindsided and throw heavily to the ground. He looked and saw that Garix himself had chosen to attack him. Rising, Judas said "Well well. It's about time you decided to throw in. Let's go…" He then thought to Sandra "You're up babe. Do your thing."

"Gladly." Sandra answered. She flew high above the conflict and began to spread the power of despair. Below, Soldiers on both sides of the battle grew weak, weary, and discouraged. They fought to keep up the struggle, but found they had nothing left.

Anthony Ananias fell to his knees. "W-What is this?" he gasped.

"Some kind of weapon." Stanrych answered him. "Something magical, if I don't miss my guess, courtesy of our erstwhile Dominators."

Anthony looked up at Stanrych, who was somehow still standing tall. "Sir, how are you doing that?" he asked.

"A lifetime of discipline and self-control son." The General answered. "You'll get there eventually too, if I don't miss my guess. Now, where is this new attack coming from…?" Binoculars to his eyes, Stanrych scanned the battlefield, then the skies above it. His gaze settled on Sandra. "Bingo." He said. Listed her coordinates to the gunners. Nothing happened. "Oh well, if you want something done right…" Stanrych walked to the nearest artillery and prepared to open fire…

Back in Heatherfield, the Guardians and regents gathered at Shell Beach. "Sorry about your dates." Will said to Miranda, as well as to Hay Lin who had been with Eric when the call to duty came.

"It's okay." Hay Lin answered. "I just wish we had a better excuse for when we have to suddenly run out on our boyfriends."

Miranda said "I told Gideon my "Probation Officer" was doing a spot check and I had to come see her." She glanced over at Cassidy. "It's technically true, kind of…"

"That's a good one." Irma agreed. "At least only half of us have that problem."

"Rub it in." Taranee said.

"Save the fighting for the bad guys." Will said. She held the Heart out. "Guardians Unite!"


	105. Episode TwentyOne Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-One: "War on Three Fronts" Chapter Four

Hectate Canyon. Courtney set her eyes on the gems set into the new armor of Garix' soldiers. They were quite beautiful, and had to be worth something even on their own, let alone the fact that they were clearly magical as well. "Gotta have one." She whispered to herself. As quickly as she could fly, she dived down onto the nearest man and made a grab for one of the enchanted gemstones. She got a nasty electric shock that sent her sprawling.

Laughing, the man turned his attention to her. "You'll need to do better than that." He said. "But if you like them so much, let me show you what they can do. Thundara!" Courtney rushed to escape the lightning bolt she knew was coming, and half succeeded. She didn't take a direct hit, but was close enough to be throw high into the air by the shockwave.

Meanwhile, General Stanrych had acquired a target lock on Sandra. He opened fire, but before the girl could be hit Courtney flew directly into her, knocking both clear of the blast. Sandra was annoyed for a moment, before they both saw the shells pass through the space she had occupied moments before. "He tried to kill me!" Sandra exclaimed, pointing down at Stanrych.

"You stay here." Courtney said. "I'll deal with him." She flew straight towards where Stanrych stood…

Nearby, Judas and Garix stood facing each other. Garix was in his half-spider combat form, still wearing no armor but clutching a magically imbued crystal, similar to the ones on the soldier's armor, in each hand. Judas held the Heart of Zambala in his hands. "In the end you can't defeat us." Judas taunted his opponent. "I've got the power of two hearts here."

Garix laughed. "Insolent whelp. The Guardians recently defeated a foe with three hearts at his disposal. The weapons matter only as much as the skill of their bearer. And you have very little skill."

"No matter." Judas answered. "We'll see who's still standing when this is all over. Now enough talk. Let's fight… If you can work up the spirit with my girl keeping her power over the whole area."

"You mean the despair power? More foolishness. I am the son of our Queen. Despair fears me. But yes, I agree on one thing. Enough talk. It is time for action!" With that, Garix leapt into action, pressing a mighty attack on Judas, who began to fall back before his enemy…

Moments before Courtney would have reached General Stanrych, she slammed into a barrier. Confused, she looked up to see the Guardians hovering over the General's position. Cornelia was protecting him with a force field. "Our little cease-fire doesn't apply to keeping you from attacking the good guys." Taranee said. "I suggest you go pick on Garix or some of his men."

Angry, but seeing there was no point in arguing, Courtney answered "Well… I do still want one of those gems… Alright, but look out when Garix is out and we're on again." She flew off in search of a new target.

Stanrych stared up. "The Guardians, I assume?" he asked.

"You called it. And, of course, the Regents of Earth." Irma said, motioning towards Matt and his own teammates.

Alchemy noticed Anthony huddled down on the ground. "Oh my gosh, is he hurt?" she asked.

"Not physically." Stanrych answered. "It's that girl up there. She's doing something to everyone on both sides of this fight."

Miranda looked up. "Sandra. Figures. I can get this, but it'll keep me out of the rest of the fight…"

"Go." Will said. "We'll take care of the rest."

Miranda nodded, then flew up to Sandra's height and began countering Sandra's despair powers with her own aura of Hope. On the ground below, the impact of Miranda's effort was immediate. Soldiers on both sides rose and resumed the battle.

Rising, Anthony expressed his appreciation to the girls. "All part of the service." Irma replied.

General Stanrych then said "As much as hate deferring to someone else, you ladies are the ones with experience in these sorts of things, so I'm open to advice. Though, I'm also wondering what you meant by having an agreement with those five."

"It's like this sir," Taranee explained, "Have you wondered why Prince Garix only has a few soldiers with him? It's because there's a barrier around Varthan right now, keeping him from going back or bringing any more soldiers here."

Elyon continued "The barrier is powered by the Heart of Zambala, which is currently in Judas' hands. That makes Garix by far the greater danger, because if he were to get that Heart away from Judas he could remove the barrier…"

Stanrych immediately saw the implications. "And then he'd bring his entire army here."

"Exactly." Will confirmed. "So we made a deal with the Dominators to leave each other alone until Garix is taken care of."

Stanrych looked towards the center of the battle. Narrowed his eyes. "Then let's take care of him…"

Reality was starting to penetrate through Judas' thick skull. It was finally dawning on him that picking a one on one fight with Garix, even with the power of two Hearts, wasn't the best idea he had ever had. The Prince was winning, and winning easily. "And he still hasn't even used those magic gems in his hands." Judas thought.

Holding the Heart of Zambala in one hand, Judas used his other hand to pull the necklace with the Heart of Varthan from around his neck. He concentrated, drawing power from both Hearts as he held them up, directing a tremendous blast of raw power that struck Garix square in the chest. The power of the attack was so great that even as it threw Garix backwards, it also ate into the ancient rocks of the canyon, creating a smooth-walled tunnel nearly half a mile long.

Judas shuddered, nearly fell to his knees from exhaustion. He began to laugh between gasps for air. "So much for the weapons not mattering." He said. "Adios sucker."

Half a second later, moving so fast Judas didn't even have time to see him coming, Garix surged out of the new tunnel and pinned Judas to the ground. "Adios sucker indeed." He said. But you are the sucker in this equation." Judas closed his eyes as Garix reared back, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

Before he could throw the punch, Garix heard three words he had learned to hate: "Light of Meridian!" Garix attempted to dodge the attack but he was too late. For the third time he took the full power of Elyon's light-bomb attack, which threw him off balance and left him vulnerable to being throw back even further by a combination of Will and Cassidy doubling up on Quintessence blasts.

As Judas rose from the ground, the girls lined up behind him, hovering just off the surface. Uriah, Bess, and Courtney joined Judas. Garix faced them, eyes filled with rage. "Perhaps it is time." He said. "Guardians! Dominators! Enemies of Varthan! Welcome to your deaths!" He raised his arms, opened his hands, palm side up. In each, he still held the gems he had been holding throughout the fight. Power began to flow out of them, combining into a glowing point of light in front of the Prince. Garix spoke one more word: "Ultima." As he spoke the word, the point of light exploded out in every direction except towards Garix, a wall of mystical energy combining every element and every type of magical energy into one irresistible tidal wave of destruction.

When the dust cleared, only Garix remained standing. Everyone else in range, Guardian and Dominator alike, were unconscious on the ground. "And now for Mother." Garix said. "And the Heart of Zambala." He strode confidently towards Judas…


	106. Episode TwentyOne Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-One: "War on Three Fronts" Chapter Five

Matt, Kor, and Napoleon were fighting a pair of Varthan soldiers, on the far side of the battle from the Guardians, when Garix used the Ultima spell. They all saw the tremendous blast and knew something very bad had happened. Luckily, loyalty to their leader caused the soldiers to turn and run in that direction in case Garix was in need of assistance. Inattention was the duo's downfall. They were cut down in mid stride by the combined firepower of a large number of U.S. troops.

"Whatever that was, it happened where Will and the others were at." Matt said. "let's get over there quick." Napoleon and Kor agreed and they rushed to the rescue.

High in the air, Miranda and Sandra were engaged in a battle of wills, Aura of Hope versus Aura of Despair. Miranda was winning. Then, they were distracted from each other by the blast directly below. "W… What was that?" Sandra asked.

"Garix, ten to one." Miranda answered.

"Judas is down there!" Sandra exclaimed. "I've got to help him!" She cast a wary eye to Miranda.

"Truce." Miranda said. "Supposed to be one anyway, right? You help your friends I'll help mine. And, if you'll knock it off with the despair, a little hope'll probably help your team too." Seeing Miranda was right, Sandra reigned in her power. Together, they dived to the ground.

Alchemy had separated from the other Guardians, the better to get full use of her powers by flying about healing the injured and dying. She was helping a man whose right leg had been badly burned by a Firaga blast when Garix used his mighty spell. The destructive wave of energy stopped only a few feet short of enveloping her and her patient before dissipating.

She looked to the man in front of her. "My friends…" she said.

He answered "Go. You've just about finished here anyway, I'll be fine."

"Thanks. Good luck." Alchemy smiled at him, then flew away.

Prince Garix stood over the unconscious Judas, gloating. He cast his gaze around, seeing all but one of the Dominators and most of the Guardians as well. Mother would surely reward him for this victory, once he released her from her crystalline prison. Perhaps, he would ask that his reward be Judas, to torture for so long as he wished. The Dominator leader had really gotten under his skin lately.

As he knelt down to collect his prize, Garix was struck in the back by a concentrated beam of magical energy. He was cast several feet away from Judas, and turned to see the regents of earth standing side by side. Before Garix could react, Matt fired again, a concentrated, continuous blast that he didn't let up on. Garix actually felt the heat through his armor, and worried that the Regent might actually burn through and hurt him.

Garix turned, trying to expose an undamaged portion of his armor to Matt's attack. As soon as he turned, he saw Alchemy, Miranda, and Sandra hovering over the fallen Guardians and Dominators.

"Your power is healing, right?" Sandra asked Alchemy. "Can you get them back on their feet?"

"On my own, I could only do one at a time." Alchemy answered. "Can you give me a boost Miranda?"

"Absolutely." Miranda answered. She directed her power to Alchemy, who felt the boost and let her own, now magnified, powers flow out and into the prone forms beneath her. Moments later, the Guardians and Dominators were awake and getting up.

Watching from a distance, Anthony said to his commanding officer "I wonder why the Prince isn't just using that spell over again?"

"Good question." Stanrych answered. "Unless… I wonder, is it possible there's some kind of refractory period for those crystals? Maybe they need time to regenerate power before being used again."

Anthony answered. "Makes sense. You know sir, the Guardians might could use some help, taking him down. And if he can't use that spell again for a while…"

"Right you are Captain. All units, Attack!"

Garix lunged at his enemies, swinging his fists wildly at everyone in range. He couldn't reuse Ultima for at least ten minutes, but he figured with caution he could keep them busy that long. He called out for his soldiers to come to his aid as well.

Judas and Bess focused their power for a combined attack on the Prince. The attacks connected, but didn't seem to bother Garix at all. In fact, he just laughed at them, as well as at Uriah when he tried to make Garix feel fear.

Kor and Napoleon grabbed Garix from behind. They struggled to hold him in place, exposing the portion of the Prince's armor that had been weakened earlier. Matt fired at that spot again, as did Will and Cassidy, who were boosted in power by Miranda. Elyon also got in on the attack, and Taranee shot a stream of fire at Garix.

Garix couldn't believe what was happening. He fought to get free of the regents who were holding him, but he just couldn't break their grasp. A large portion of his armor was nearly gone now. And just where were his men anyway? No one had come to his aid. Surely they hadn't all been defeated? Then, all at once, he felt the regents let go of him and leap away.

Napoleon and Kor had released Garix because they saw what was coming next. Even as the Guardians and Matt continued firing, the army arrived. Garix began to be pounded by bullets and artillery shells.

Stanrych looked up at Will. "His men are all down." The General explained. "Thought you could use the help."

Garix heard the General's words and realized this was a fight he had no chance to win. He needed to pull back and recalculate. "I can still win the day," he thought, "but I'll need to use stealthier tactics." Intending to retreat to some other world, Garix reached for his transit crystal… …and found it shattered. Roaring in anger, he retreated the old-fashioned way, leaping away in great bounds towards Heatherfield, where he could turn into his human form and hide.

Once Garix was gone, the Dominators also hastily left the area. Anthony tried to talk to his son, but was rebuked. Will and Elyon filled Stanrych in on the fact that Garix could disguise himself as a human, and Hay Lin offered to make a sketch of the human form for the police and army to use in looking for him. Soon, everyone went their own ways, for the time being…

Late that night, the Guardians were all in their own homes, getting ready for bed and talking telepathically. Taranee was saying "What I don't get is why the Dominator's power was so useless against Garix. I mean, if he's immune to it because of who and what he is, then how the heck did they hurt Neera with it?"

"Good question" Cassidy agreed.

"Let's worry about it later, right now I'm beat." Irma replied.

Will thought "Okay then. Any other business before we get some sleep?"

"It's not exactly business, but I do have one thing." Miranda thought. "Gideon finally got around to actually asking me to the dance today. Which is great except for one thing: Can anyone, like, teach me HOW to dance…?


	107. Episode TwentyTwo Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Two: "The Harder They Fall" Chapter One

Hectate Canyon. Aljax lay hidden in a deep stand of brush near the canyon rim. He had taken refuge here after nearly dying from the shockwave of the first shell to strike in the previous day's battle. Had watched in horror as his soldiers were defeated and Prince Garix forced to flee into the city to hide and recover.

Afterward, Aljax had stayed where he was, evading detection while the local army swept up after the fight, carrying away the bodies of his comrades and the magic armor and weapons they had bought back from Ivalice. In spite of the terrible cold and rain, Aljax stayed put until dawn, when he was certain the enemy had all left.

Unobserved, he crept out of hiding, shook himself off, and started planning how he might rejoin Prince Garix. This world was racking up an impressive tally of offenses against Varthan. Surely, the Prince would find a way to repay them for this. "And I will be a part of it." Aljax whispered to himself…

Fort Wyvern. General Stanrych stood at the head of a conference table in an empty room. He faced away from the table, towards an interior window that provided a view down into the labs where the Varthan soldiers' bodies and equipment were being analyzed. Some of the scientists and technicians under his command, most of them, in fact, to be honest, wanted the Guardians and Dominators in those labs as well. Stanrych, however, had no intention to allow that. He had seen enough things go wrong at Wyvern to know better. In truth, he didn't even plan to let them have Garix, though he wasn't yet sure how to prevent that one.

A knock sounded at the door and Stanrych called out for everyone to enter. Soon, the General, Captain Ananias, and the heads of each science department were seated around the table. To the General's dismay, three unidentified men from 'higher up' were also present. Stanrych opened by asking for a report on the analysis going on in the labs. "Very little to report yet General." The answer came, "we've only had the specimens for a few hours."

"Very well." Keep me informed." Stanrych said.

At this point, one of the mystery guests said "General, analysis is all well and good, but shouldn't the current focus be on capturing the remaining threats?"

"Yes," another said, "This 'Prince Garix' is still on the loose, somewhere in Heatherfield. And not only that, but disguised as a human if these Guardians can be believed."

Stanrych sighed deeply. "I am aware of that. Plans are being made now to find and stop him. With the Guardian's help, because whether you agree or not, I've concluded they can be trusted. The trouble now is finding them to start laying plans that will work for both us and them."

"Freaks should all be locked up here." One of the scientists remarked.

Anthony rose and slammed his fist on the table "One of these 'Freaks' as you say happens to be my son!" he shouted.

The third mystery man spoke, "Calm yourself Captain. General, unlike your science team, we actually agree with you, at least about not fighting with the Guardians. We are aware of what's been happening at this base, and concur that they'll be more useful free and on our side. But Prince Garix, and the Dominators," here he looked at Anthony, "represent threats that have to be stopped."

"I'm sorry Captain, but they're right." Stanrych said. "All that leaves is the matter of how to contact the Guardians."

"We may have a suggestion for that General." The second guest said…

Sheffield Institute, lunch hour. The Guardians met outside and ate near the front gate. "I still can't believe you've never danced before." Hay Lin said to Miranda.

Miranda answered "Well, I did learn a couple of dances as a part of one of my jobs working in Phobos' court. The thing is, they both require eight legs to pull off."

Hearing this, everyone stared at her. It was Irma who finally asked "What kind of job could he possibly have sent you on that required dancing as a spider?"

Miranda chuckled. "VERY long story." She said. "And it didn't work out as intended, ended up turning into a comedy of errors, really. I'll tell you all about it sometime. What matters now is, I wanna be able to dance with Gideon next week."

"We've got you covered there." Cornelia said. "Hurry up and finish eating, We'll have time for a starter lesson before we go back to class…"

Garix, disguised as an ordinary human, was lurking in a back alleyway near the center of downtown Heatherfield. Knowing he needed to eat to regain his strength, but also not feeling up to trying to rob a store, he had mugged a man for his wallet and now stood counting the money contained within. It didn't seem like much to him, but surely he would at least be able to buy a meal. As he started to walk out of the alley, Aljax appeared from around the corner and bowed before him. "Aljax?" Garix asked. "I had thought you killed with the others."

"Very nearly so, my Prince." Aljax answered. "But I survived, as did my scanners, through which I have tracked you down to rejoin you."

Garix smiled. "Excellent. We shall free Mother and have our revenge yet. Were you able to preserve the Ivalician gems I trusted to you?"

"Yes my Prince."

"And I still have the Ultima gems. Together, we will unleash my greatest plan of all. But first, we must recover. Come Aljax, let us eat and drink, and then I will tell you of my scheme."

After half an hour of practice, Miranda was starting to get the hang of basic slow dancing, much to the relief of Cornelia and Irma's feet, which she had trod upon repeatedly. While Alchemy knelt down to heal the damage, Miranda tried to apologize. "Forget it." Irma said. "Everyone does that at first."

"Yeah, you'll do better when we practice again after school." Cornelia said.

Just then, Martin came running up to the girls. "You're gonna want to see this." He said, holding up his smartphone. The Guardians leaned in close to see the screen.

When Martin pushed 'play', the phone's screen filled with a video of General Stanrych, holding a press conference. He was saying that the military had no comments yet in regards to the incidents at the hotel, or the later occurrences at Hectate Canyon. Then he said "I am telling you all in advance, that I will not comment on my next statement. I am simply using the media to deliver an important message. That message is this: Guardians, please meet me at the site of our first contact. I will be waiting, if needed, all day." The General then turned and left, ignoring questions the press was asking about the statement.

"I guess that after-school lesson is off." Miranda said.

"We'll get it later. If we even go. What if this is a trap to catch us?" Cornelia said.

Will answered "It's a risk we've got to take. We can always teletransit out if they try to pull something."

"Unless they've learned how to jam teleporting." Hay Lin said.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it." Elyon said.


	108. Episode TwentyTwo Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-two: "The Harder They Fall" Chapter Two

Hectate Canyon. General Stanrych stood on roof of an army Humvee, binoculars in hand. He had been in this position for four hours, periodically scanning the skies, hoping the Guardians had gotten his message and waiting for them to arrive. Anthony Ananias stood next to him, also holding a pair of binoculars.

Anthony glanced at the General. "Sir, I'm wondering how much longer it's worth waiting. After all, we don't even know if they got the message."

"True, Captain. But as important as this is, I think we should give it at least another hour. After all, we may not get another chance to meet with them apart from our new 'friends.'

Anthony grimaced. "Yes sir. General, I feel I owe you an apology for my outburst during this morning's meeting… I was out of line."

Stanrych replied "Yes, you were. But I dare say if it were my son I would have reacted in the same way. No apology is needed, just don't let it happen again."

Together, they continued to scan the skies. About half an hour later, Anthony noticed something approaching in the distance. Took a closer look with his binoculars and saw what he was hoping for. "Sir, they're here. Coming in from our five o clock position."

Moments later, the Guardians arrived. They hovered down until they were floating just above the ground, at eye level with Stanrych. "You wanted to see us?" Will asked.

"Yes. We need to discuss what's going to be done about Prince Garix."

"We're looking for him, the same as your people are." Elyon said. "If we can work around that nasty spell he's gotten access to, we could probably handle him now that he's alone."

"Though if you're game to throw in and help, we won't say no." Cassidy added.

Stanrych smiled. "Oh, I'm definitely game. In truth, we've got some plans that might let us deal with him as well, including one that will negate that spell he used last time. But, in truth, I'm speaking with you now because I have another concern…"

"We're listening." Will said.

"When the Prince is beaten, what are we going to do with him? I've got men under my command who will want to drag him back to Fort Wyvern, of course. But I'm no fool. We don't have anything that could contain something as powerful as this guy. You, on the other hand, deal with this sort of thing on a regular basis. I assume you've got some kind of containment options?"

Taranee sighed. "Ordinarily, we'd throw him in the Tower of Mist in Kandrakar. But that's off limits right now thanks to Queen Neera."

Alchemy looked at Elyon. "Couldn't you have him put in the Infinite City until Kandrakar is open again?"

"That's supposed to be reserved for Meridian criminals." Elyon said. "Still, it should be strong enough to hold him, and it would be temporary… I guess that'll work out."

"Excellent." Stanrych said. "Now, about those battle plans…" Everyone huddled close together to lay their plans…

Garix and Aljax sat at a table eating. Garix just wanted the experience over. The seat was uncomfortable and the food tasted terrible. He resolved that when this planet was conquered, he would personally destroy every Taco Queen location on the face of the earth. Still, the food was filling his stomaches, and that was something.

"Now then," Garix said to Aljax as he held up the magic gem Aljax had surrendered to him, "This particular gem is the key to my victory. It is called 'Manafont.' When used in conjunction with another magical gem, it causes the other gem to recover to full power instantly, no matter how many times it is used, for up to three minutes."

"And you can use it in conjunction with Ultima…" Aljax said in awe.

"Correct. And I ask you, if ONE Ultima nearly defeated both Guardians and Dominators, what will dozens of them do?"

"I see no way you can lose now my Prince."

Garix answered "Oh, caution is still called for. Were I to lose any one of these gems before beginning to cast the spells, we would suddenly be in a very bad position."

"Yes, I see." Aljax said. "May I ask what my part in this battle will be?"

"You are crucial in preventing the loss I spoke of. You will distract our opponents with the power of the gem you still hold. It is called 'Utsusemi." It is a mystical technique used by powerful ninja on many worlds."

"And what does it do my Prince?"

"Utsusemi," Garix explained, "means 'copy image.' Each time you use it, multiple shadow copies of yourself will be created, all under your control. These copies are, unfortunately, very weak and easily destroyed. But if you make enough of them, you will overwhelm our enemies long enough for me to do what I must do."

"Excellent…" Aljax whispered. "I shall myself BE the army of Varthan to annihilate our foes…"

While Garix and Aljax ate and discussed strategy, they were being observed by one that neither of them noticed: A Heatherfield policewoman. She stared intently at Garix, then looked down at the paper in her hand, a wanted poster with Hay-Lin's sketch of Garix' human form and a warning not to approach alone. She reached for her radio. "Dispatch? I think I've got Wyvern's most wanted in sight."

"Ten-four," came the reply, "Continue observation but do not approach. Fort Wyvern is being notified…"

At Hectate Canyon, General Stanrych and the Guardians were just finishing up their meeting when the word arrived that Garix had been located. "There it is." He said to them after speaking with his communications officer, "He's still in Heatherfield, at the South Parke Avenue Taco Queen, of all places."

"I guess even big giant monsters have to eat." Alchemy said.

"According to the report, he's not alone." Stanrych said. "Looks like we missed one of his soldiers after all."

"You're not actually planning on attacking him in the middle of town are you?" Taranee asked.

Stanrych answered "Yes, I am. I don't like it any more than you do, but we need to catch him off guard. Waiting until he's alone is playing into his hands by giving him more time to recover and prepare."

"He's right." Cassidy said to Taranee. "People will run, and property damage can be repaired. With a little luck, getting the drop on him will let us be done before he can even react."

"Yeah," Irma said, "That's not what worries me."

Anthony asked "Then what does worry you?"

"He's eating at Taco Queen." She answered. "Considering what that stuff does to normal people, I fear what it'll do to his system…" The girls all laughed, while Stanrych and Anthony stared at them.

Noticing the stares, Will said "She's just like that. Ignore her."

"We do." Cornelia added.

"Very funny." Irma deadpanned.

"If you ladies are done," Stanrych said, shaking his head, "We've got a bad guy to stop."

"Right you are." Will agreed. "Ladies, let's go…"


	109. Episode TwentyTwo Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-two: "The Harder They Fall" Chapter Three

Working as stealthily as possible, the Heatherfield police evacuated as many people as possible from the Taco Queen and its surroundings, one at a time when necessary. By the time the army arrived, half an hour after the order had been sent to the police, almost every civilian was clear of the area.

General Stanrych stood at the front of the mobilized forces of Fort Wyvern, with Captain Ananias by his side and the Guardians behind him, just out of sight of the restaurant. He motioned towards the girls. "The Guardians will take point, going in first and making one last effort to convince Prince Garix to surrender. It won't work, of course, but I suppose it's only right to try…"

Anthony continued, "Our orders are to hold the perimeter and prevent Garix and his last remaining soldier from escaping. Do not, under any circumstances, move in any closer than this, or you'll be in the line of fire."

Turning to the girls, Stanrych said "Remember, all I need is for him to be outside, where we can get a clean shot." He looked straight at Hay Lin. "I understand you have some kind of super-sensitive hearing?"

"Yes," she answered, "I could hear a pin drop a mile away if I wanted to."

"Good. Listen to my voice, when you hear me say 'Take the shot' haul your butts out of there, fast, and don't look back."

Taranee asked "You still haven't told us just what's up your sleeve?"

"And I'm not going to 'tell' you. Classified. Though, you'll know when you see it what it was. I trust you'll keep your mouths shut."

"Alright." Will said. "Here goes nothing…" The Guardians flew towards the evacuated restaurant together…

Inside the Taco Queen, Garix and Aljax were so busily engrossed in their planning the details of an attack that for quite some time they failed to even notice that they were now alone. Suddenly something, perhaps the deep quiet, registered on Garix' senses. He looked and saw the emptiness. "Something is wrong." He said. "Aljax, start using the gem. We are about to be attacked."

While Garix transformed into his half-spider form, Aljax used the Utsusemi gem. With each use, it created between three and five clone images. Aljax noticed that the images required remarkably little energy from the gem to maintain, so he could produce dozens of copies simultaneously. When he had made around sixty copies, the gem reached its limit. Aljax then made his clones all hide behind tables and booths and in the kitchen area, the better to gain surprise when an attack came.

When the doors opened, Aljax was surprised, though he quickly realized he shouldn't have been. He had been expecting elite human army soldiers. Instead he got the Guardians. They floated in and landed in an arc about twenty feet in front of Garix. "Here's the deal big guy." Will said, "It's just the two of you now, and we know you've got to be getting tired of this. Why don't we just call it a day and end this peacefully?"

"It will end in peace for you…" Garix said. "The peace of the grave. Aljax, NOW!"

At his master's command, Aljax called on all of his clones, which emerged from hiding and rushed the Guardians. Shocked by this new development, they took up fighting positions and started using their powers to attack the clones. But as each clone took a hit, it vanished in a puff of smoke.

"What the…" Irma exclaimed.

"They aren't real!" Taranee shouted. "Just some kind of illusions!" She burned through three at once with a column of flame, destroying them.

"If they're illusions, who's making them?" Cornelia asked as she dropped a ceiling tile on a pair of clones.

Will looked around. Saw Aljax cowering behind Garix, using the gem over and over to replace clones as they were destroyed. "There!" she thought to the others.

"Won't be easy stopping him with Garix in the way." Miranda thought.

Cassidy answered "Don't rush him. Wait for an opening."

"And remember that any opening could be a trap." Taranee added.

Meanwhile, Garix clutched the gems in his hands tightly. With three, he was having to hold one in a foreleg, but it didn't matter. He wouldn't need to move much anyway. The Prince raised one hand and held out the gem in it. "Manafont." He whispered, activating the spell. Instantly, the paired Ultima gems began to glow brighter…

At the Vandom/Collins residence, Dean and Susan stood in front of the television watching news coverage of the army's closure of an area in Heatherfield. Dean held his wife close in his arms as she trembled with worry. "We don't know for sure the girls are in the middle of this…" he started to say.

"Don't lie. Not even to try to comfort me Dean." Susan answered. "The whole reason the army is even in town is because of the Dominators and Garix. If they've evacuated this place, it's connected. And if it's connected the girls are there."

Dean didn't say anything else at first. He knew Susan was right. Finally he said "At least we know the girls know how to take care of themselves. They're good at what they do."

"Yeah. And at least we know. It's strange, but as much as I worry, I still wouldn't want to go back to being in the dark about this."

"Neither would I." Dean admitted. "Have faith. They'll come through okay…"

Seeing an apparent opening, Irma wove between a series of Aljax clones and made a straight-line run towards the real thing, still cowering behind Garix. Before she could get there, she saw the glowing gems the Prince held. "Red Alert!" she thought to the others. "Here it comes!" She then tried to reverse course but was going too fast. Fortunately, a quick-thinking Elyon flew into Irma from the other direction and threw them both away from Garix.

Prince Garix held the gems tightly as he used the Ultima spell. As before, a wave of destructive energy encompassing every elemental force surged outward. Thanks to Elyon's interference, Irma had time to teleport them both away before the wave front reached her. All around the room, the other girls also teleported just out of range.

"That's it." Will said when they regathered just outside the building. "We should be in the clear now. Let's take him down."

The Guardians flew back into the damaged Taco Queen, heading for Garix. "Your little spell's over and your number's up!" Irma quipped at him.

Garix grinned. "Oh really?" He held the still glowing gems. "Ultima!"

Shocked at the unexpected repetition, the Guardians were at a loss. They were moving too fast to avoid the attack this time, flying right into it instead…


	110. Episode TwentyTwo Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Two: "The Harder They Fall" Chapter Four

It looked like it was all over. Guardians and Ultima spell shockwave were converging too fast for any hope of avoiding a collision. Suddenly, Miranda shouted "Cornelia! Shield!" She then directed all of her own power, every last bit of the Aura of Hope into the earth Guardian.

Reacting fast, Cornelia projected a telekinetic shield ahead of the Guardians, between them and the approaching spell energy. Fortified by Miranda's power, it was the strongest shield she had ever made, and she hoped it might be enough.

Half a second later, impact. Destructive magic met defensive magic in a terrible conflagration. Cornelia's shield almost held. The bulk of Garix' attack was absorbed, but what made it through was still more than enough to throw the Guardians backwards, out through a wall that collapsed, into the open air. They struck the ground hard about two hundred feet in front of where General Stanrych stood waiting.

Together with Captain Ananias, Stanrych ran to where they had fallen. "Are you injured?" Anthony asked as they started to get back up.

"We'll be feeling it in the morning, but I think we're alright." Cassidy answered.

Stanrych looked towards the restaurant. "My apologies Guardians." He said. "I would've sworn Garix couldn't do that more than once at a time."

Will answered "Don't sweat it. We didn't think so either."

"If he can do it twice, who's to say he can't do it three times? Or more?" Alchemy asked.

Suddenly a grin formed on the General's face. "Excellent." He said.

Confused, the girls all looked at him. "Excellent?" Taranee asked.

"Yes. I need him out in the open. I had hoped to lure him out of the building, but since the building is totaled now anyway, there's no further loss in it being destroyed. If he's got more shots in those gems, he can destroy it for us…"

"…and then we've got a clear shot." Anthony finished.

Taranee had caught on now. "So all we need to do is keep him shooting until the roof caves in."

Garix watched through a hole in the wall as the Guardians flew back for another round. He could almost admire their spirit. They would've made powerful allies if things had been different. "Aljax, more clones." He said. Got no response. Glanced over his shoulder to see the loyal man on the ground, unmoving. "I must have hit him with the outer edge of the second Ultima spell." Garix thought. "No matter. I am Prince Garix, and I will not fail…"

Looking back at his foes, Garix began firing blasts from the Ultima gems over and over, as often as possible. Three, seven, fifteen shots. The Guardians stayed just at the limits of the spell's range, darting into range to goad him into shooting, then ducking away to safety.

At the twenty-third blast, the power of the Manafont gem wore off. Enough power remained in the Ultima gems for one last casting, but before Garix could use it, he heard a rumble over his head. The ruined structure began to shake violently. Realizing what was about to happen, Prince Garix swore softly under his breath. Then the roof caved in on his head.

Sheffield Institute. After hours, there was no one working in the school. Even security generally stayed outside, patrolling the perimeter by car or on foot rather than entering the buildings, and the school had yet to see the need (or have the budget) to install security cameras in the hallways or classrooms. As a result, no one was present to feel the sudden rush of wind, hear the popping sound of displaced air rushing outward, or see the sudden appearance of five teenagers.

"The school?" Judas asked. "Uriah, this is your idea of a good new hideout? The place is filled with people five days a week you idiot!"

Sandra agreed, "It would actually be a good idea during summer vacation, but not now. There's too many people around all the time right now."

Grinning, Uriah said "There's not people everywhere. Follow me." Uriah led the other Dominators through the halls until they came to a large steel door. The hinges were badly rusted. "On the other side of this door," Uriah said, "are three old classrooms. They're not used anymore for some reason. See the door hinges? No one has even opened this door for like twenty years. My old man told me one time it was already sealed when he went to school here."

Judas smiled. "Not bad…"

"We can live here during the day and steal food from the cafeteria at night." Courtney said.

"Of course, we'll have to teleport in and out. But that's no bother, and besides it just means extra security." Bess added.

"This is good work Dunn." Judas said. "C'mon, let's go raid the kitchen, then we'll settle in for the night."

As the Dominators walked to the cafeteria, a poster on the wall caught Sandra's eye. She stopped to read it, then called for the others. "Hey, come take a look at this!" she said…

The Guardians hovered over the collapsed ruins of the Taco Queen restaurant. "Well," Irma said, "At least it wasn't a good restaurant…"

Below, the debris began to shake again. Huge chunks of roof flew upwards, and Prince Garix emerged from the wreckage. He looked up at the girls. "A decent strategy." He said, "But foolish to think a mere roof collapse would stop me." He then leapt up towards the Guardians and unleashed the final Ultima spell.

As Garix was speaking, Hay Lin was listening to General Stanrych half a block away. So she heard him say the words he had warned her to listen for: "Take the shot."

Warned, the Guardians were already flying away at full speed as Garix leapt up and cast his spell. He wondered why they had ran early this time, and cursed his luck at having already used the spell. Then, he became aware of a blindingly bright light in the sky directly above him…

In a flash, in a single heartbeat, General Stanrych's plan became obvious. From above came a beam of light brighter than the sun, brighter than the flash of a nuclear bomb, a white-hot column of death lancing down from somewhere in low earth orbit. The powerful laser struck home, plowing into Garix with a power greater than anything he had ever felt, ever imagined. He was throw hard back to the ground by the weapon, which just kept firing and firing, nonstop for nearly a minute before cutting off.

The Guardians, who had retreated to the General's side, looked towards ground zero as the beam finally stopped. Even Irma was silenced, no flippant comment to be made. Finally, Taranee said "Was that what I think it was?"

Poker faced, Stanrych replied "I have no idea what you are talking about. Nothing just happened."

"You neither confirm nor deny. Got it. So now what?"

Before Stanrych could answer, Garix rose, red hot, on fire in places, his natural armor totally burned away. He roared and tried to charge, but instead fell to the ground unconscious.

Unfazed, the General said "Now, we get him to that prison of yours before certain people show up and try to haul him back to Fort Wyvern…


	111. Episode TwentyTwo Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Two: "The Harder They Fall" Chapter Five

Dean and Susan were still watching the news coverage of the army's closure of a large area of town, hoping to catch some indication of what was happening with Will, when the phone rang. Susan answered on the second ring. "Hi Mom." Will said. "I figured you were probably seeing something on T.V., so I thought I'd better call."

"Are you okay? Is anyone hurt?" Susan asked.

"We're all fine. Listen, we've gotta make a quick trip to Meridian, but when we're back it's celebration time. Prince Garix is down for the count."

"That's good news. I assume celebration means the Silver Dragon?"

"Yeah." Will answered. "See you there in about an hour." She hung up.

"Well?" Dean asked as Susan hung up on her end.

"They're all okay, and it's one problem down one to go." Susan let out a pent-up sigh, relieved that her daughters' life had gotten at least a little less dangerous for awhile.

After hanging up, Will looked over her shoulder, back to where Prince Garix still lay on the ground. Aljax, barely alive, had been dug out of the rubble and laid next to his leader. Will flew back and rejoined the other Guardians and General Stanrych.

"Quick thought." Taranee thought to them, "We're gonna be carrying him into the infinite city prison, in full view of guys like Phobos. Guys who are still in the dark on the fact that there are more of us now than there used to be." She glanced at Miranda and Alchemy. "Maybe our newest Guardians shouldn't be there. It'd mean an edge if anyone escapes."

"Good thinking." Elyon agreed. "I'll switch back into my royal robes once we get through the fold."

Alchemy thought "We'll go start getting things ready at the Dragon for the party." Cassidy, Miranda, and Alchemy flew off together.

"They aren't going?" Stanrych asked.

"Prior commitments." Will said. "Anyway, let's get the big guy moved before he wakes up." Will opened a fold and Cornelia lifted Garix and Aljax telekinetically.

Elyon said to the General "I suppose you'd like to come?"

"My superiors won't like that Garix is in your custody instead of ours." Stanrych answered. "It'll help if I can tell them that I saw him physically behind bars with my own eyes."

"I thought as much." Elyon replied. She motioned to the fold. "This way. You just walk through."

Meridian. Upon arriving, Will used the Heart to turn Elyon back, and the Queen magically changed her clothing into Meridian royal robes. As they walked towards the gateway into the prison, Julian and Vathic met them and bowed before Elyon. "Welcome home your majesty." Julian said. "How may we serve?"

Stanrych and Anthony stared at the young Queen. "You weren't kidding to the detective." Anthony said. "You really are the Queen here?"

Elyon giggled. "Yeah." She turned to Vathic. "Temporary prisoners for the Infinite City. Just until we can get access to Kandrakar again. I trust there's room?"

"Of course your majesty. This way." Vathic led the Guardians into the prison chamber.

Watching from his cell, Phobos broke into open laughter when he saw Garix. "I must say, I'm impressed. Defeating the spawn of the Dark Queen is an accomplishment worthy of songs and epic poetry." Phobos said. "Oh, do put him in this empty cell near mine, I'll enjoy taunting him about his dear mother."

"You're in jail Phobos." Vathic said, "Letting you enjoy something would ruin the point of the experience."

"As they moved on into the next chamber of cells, Stanrych asked "Who's laughing boy back there?"

"My brother." Elyon answered without slowing down or bothering to elaborate.

"Did I say something wrong?" the General wondered.

"It's not your fault." Irma said. "That guy just gives 'bad seed' a whole new meaning.

Soon they arrived at a pair of empty cells. Garix was placed in one, and Aljax in the other. Vathic worked the room's control panel, activating the energy bars at the front of the cell.

"And there you have it." Taranee said. "He's not going anywhere for a long, long time."

Soon, everyone was back on earth. The Guardians excused themselves and flew away. Once they were out of sight, they teleported to the Silver Dragon, and spent the remainder of the evening relaxing and celebrating their victory. At the end of the night, as everyone was preparing to go home, Cornelia said "I feel bad bringing it up, but we've still got one more job to do before this whole mess is wrapped up."

"The Dominators." Alchemy said. "You know, they could be trickier than Garix. I mean, we wanna stop them without actually hurting them. How could we do that?"

Will yawned. "No idea. And frankly, I'll start worrying about them again in the morning. Right now, all I care about is going home, going to bed, and not thinking about the next problem just yet."

"Hear, hear!" Irma said, making everyone laugh.

At Sheffield, the Dominators stood in front of the poster. "I had totally forgotten, with everything else that's happened to us." Uriah said.

"Same here." Courtney agreed.

"Can we go Judas?" Sandra asked.

"What the heck? Why not." Judas answered. "Dunn boy, ladies, get your tux and dresses… We're going dancing…"


	112. Episode TwentyThree Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Three: "Xanatos, Redux" Chapter One

Heatherfield. Standing in the center of the mall, Will pleaded telepathically for help. "Come on Cornelia, the dance is like, tomorrow night, and with everything else that's been going on I've not had a chance to find a dress yet and besides that you're so much better at this than I am and will you please get down here and help me out already!"

"And what makes you think I've had a chance to get my own dress yet?"

"Hello? You're Cornelia Hale. You probably had the dress for this picked out when you were still in the womb." Will answered. The telepathic link filled with laughter.

"Okay, okay, you're right, I've got the dress already. Look, I'd be there but I'm stuck babysitting Lillian. Mom and dad are still leery of leaving her with just the cat. Tell you what, get Matt over here and I'll be right there." Cornelia thought.

"Done." Will answered. She dialed her boyfriend's number. "Matt? Need a favor sweetie…"

Hay Lin and Eric were sharing a root beer float when she started giggling at Will's comment to Cornelia. "What's so funny?" Eric asked.

"Oh, um, I was just laughing about something Will said to Corny, um, the other day."

"Really? It sorta came out of nowhere." Eric said. "I woulda thought it was something I did."

"Nah. So, what did you wanna do later? I should have the evening free."

"We could go to the observatory. Did you know there's a meteor shower tonight? It's not something you can really watch through the big scope, but the sky's nice and dark out there. Good sights."

"And tons of shooting stars to wish on?" Hay Lin giggled. "I'd like that."

Taranee and Nigel sat on the railing of her bedroom's balcony. "So, big dance tomorrow." He said.

"Yeah. Are you still upset with Matt over having to share the gig with Gideon's band?"

"I'm trying not to be, since it means I'll actually get to dance with you." Nigel answered. "But there's a part of me that's still upset with the principle of the thing."

Taranee leaned over and kissed him. "For once I'm glad you lost out. Angry or not I'll get to dance, and so will Elyon and Miranda. That's what matters."

"I suppose so." Nigel answered back. "Listen, I hate to go, but we're practicing after Gideon finishes up. I better head for the school."

"Alright. Call me later?"

Nigel grinned. "Count on it."

Matt entered Cornelia's apartment in a rush. "Make this fast." He said to Cornelia. "We've got final band practice in ninety minutes."

"We'll be as quick as possible." Cornelia promised him, then teleported away.

Moments later, Lillian walked into the room. "Matt!" she exclaimed. "I thought it was you!" She then looked around, puzzled. "Hey! Where'd Cornelia go so fast?"

"She had to rush." Matt said. "Will needed her, but I've only got a little while I can stay, so she's in a big hurry."

"Oh. Okay." Lillian turned and left the room, unconvinced.

Elyon, stood in the school auditorium watching while Gideon's band practiced. During a short break, Joel joined her. "So what'dya think?" He asked.

"You guys are getting better all the time." She answered. "I'm glad you're gonna get to be here tomorrow night."

"Me too. And I've got even better news. My dad's decided tradition isn't worth the cost of added transportation… Next year, I'll be back at Sheffield." He smiled.

Elyon's jaw nearly dropped off at the news. "So, we'll see each other at school every day again? That's great!" She threw both arms around him.

"I'm glad you're back El." Joel said.

Smiling, Elyon answered "So am I."

While music from an Ipod dock filled the air, Miranda and Alchemy danced around an empty room. "I think you've got it down." Alchemy said as the song ended.

"Thanks to you and the other girls." Miranda answered. "So, are there any special ceremonies or anything I need to know about for this kind of thing?"

"Not really. It's more for just having fun than anything else."

"Good. So what about you? I know someone must've asked you to go by now."

Smiling, Alchemy answered "As a matter of fact yes. And it came as a surprise. That new guy that started last month asked me a few days ago, though I didn't say yes until today."

"New? That tall guy with red hair?"

"Yeah. I don't really know him, but it's just a dance right here at school."

"Well, I'm glad you found a date." Miranda said.

"You and me both…"

Martin and Irma sat arm in arm watching a new movie on DVD in the Lair's living room. "Wow. This is totally lame." Irma commented about half an hour into the film.

"It's direct-to-DVD, that's to be expected." Martin answered. "Actually, the best thing to do with films like this is MST them."

"MST?" Irma asked.

Shocked, Martin said "You've never seen Mystery Science Theater? You poor deprived soul, we'll have to fix that soon. It's an old television show where they watched bad movies and cracked all sorts of jokes about them. It's way better than that description makes it sound though. I'll bring one over sometime soon."

"Sounds like fun." Irma said. "So, when you say we should 'MST' this movie…"

"Like this…" Martin answered. On the screen, a character was running from the monster. He slipped and the dog-like creature leapt onto his back. Martin started making sounds like a guy playing with a dog as the creature mauled it's victim, causing Irma to break out laughing.

"And that's the kind of jokes they do on this show?"

"Yep." Martin answered.

"Oh, I have GOT to check that out…"

Cassidy and Peter were enjoying a candlelit dinner in a fancy restaurant. "So what made you spring for this?" Cassidy asked. "This place has got to be setting you back quite a bit of money."

"Well, I figured that since you can't go to the dance like the others that maybe I should do something equivalent for you. I would've waited until tomorrow night, but you know, I've gotta work late shift then." Peter answered.

"I'd say you shot right past 'equivalent' and broke right on through to 'way better.' Are you sure you can afford this Peter?"

"Yeah, no trouble."

Sitting across the table from Peter, Cassidy relaxed a little. When she had seen the kind of place they were going to eat, she had been afraid Peter was going to propose. Which, she hoped he would, just not quite yet. She decided to confide her thoughts to him. When she finished, Peter said "It's funny you say that. 'Cause, see, I did consider it. Even found a nice ring I coulda swung the payments on. But in the end, I agree with you. I want to, but not quite yet."

Cassidy smiled. "We're both young. Kind of. There's plenty of time."

As music began to play and couples moved towards the dance floor, Peter said "Care to dance?"

"Love to." Cassidy replied…

While Lillian played with Napoleon and Huggles, Matt glanced at his watch. Time was running short and he didn't want Nigel upset with him again. "C'mon girls, how long does it take?" He thought. With only five minutes to spare, he was about to call when a popping sound and blast of displaced air from the front room announced their return.

Cornelia entered the room carrying several large clothing bags. "Sorry I'm late." She said, then leaned in close to Matt and whispered "Will's in the foyer, she'll tele you to school."

As Matt rushed out the door, Lillian said "Where'd that wind come from?"

"In the front door." Cornelia answered. "It's windy outside."

"You mean… Outside… in the hallway?" Lillian thought. "Something's fishy here…"


	113. Episode TwentyThree Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Three: "Xanatos, Redux" Chapter Two

Sheffield Institute. At seven in the evening on a Friday students began arriving for the big dance. Given the Dominator situation, there was security everywhere. Three plainclothes policemen stood guard inside the gymnasium, along with a dozen private security officers. Outside, another ten police were stationed at the doors, while army rangers under the command of General Stanrych patrolled the roof and perimeter. The General himself was also present.

Because their boyfriends were in the bands, Will, Taranee, Elyon, and Miranda had arrived early. They were soon joined by the rest of the Guardians who came when the doors were officially opened. "Did you guys see all the security out there?" Irma asked as she arrived with Martin.

"Yeah." Will answered. "I even noticed Stanrych came himself."

"No big surprise on that to me." Elyon said. "Something about the guy screams 'hands-on' leader."

"Yeah, the real surprise is over there at the refreshments table." Cornelia said. The girls all glanced towards the table, which was being manned by all of their parents. Unknown to any of the girls until that very evening, all of their parents had signed up to help. "I still can't believe they pulled this on us."

"Oh it's not that bad." Will said.

Irma replied 'Easy for you to say. Between a teacher and a PTA member, it was a given your folks'd be here."

"Yep. And now all of you get to join in the experience." Will said, laughing.

At the refreshment table, the parents were discussing things as they worked. "They are not happy with us right now." Lionel observed.

Theresa answered "Let them be upset. This is a dangerous situation and I wasn't staying out of it."

"Dean and I had to be here, given our positions…" Susan said, "But I wonder if maybe this wasn't a mistake for the rest of you. As you say, it's dangerous and this might make things worse."

"It's a calculated risk." Theresa agreed.

"And less of a risk than it would have been a few days ago. At least we don't have to worry about the real monster now with Garix in jail." Paula agreed. "Besides, these kids are wanted by the law. Probably they won't even show up."

"I hope not." Harold said. "The girls have earned having this night go right."

As the others agreed, Cassidy entered pushing a tub of ice. "Hear, hear." She said in response to Harold's comment. "As for me, I'm just happy to help out here tonight."

"Where did you get that much ice so quickly?" Theresa asked.

Grinning, Cassidy said "Irma and Hay Lin are in power channeling range. I made it myself. The hardest part was finding a tub big enough, but this one was hidden in the back of a kitchen storage room."

Moments later, the ice in the tub shuddered and a familiar green figure crawled his way out and plopped onto the floor behind the table, shivering. "Blunk! Where did you come from?" Cassidy said as she knelt down next to him.

"Blunk not know." He answered. "One second, Blunk relaxing in empty tub. Next second, drowning, third second freezing…"

"Oops." Cassidy said blushing. "My bad."

"Here." Tom Lair said wrapping his jacket around Blunk, "This'll warm you up. Just stay back here out of sight."

"Don't worry, Blunk not going anywhere…"

At precisely seven-thirty, Principal Knicklebocker climbed onto the stage and borrowed Gideon's microphone. "Hello everyone, thank you all for coming. As we are all aware, a lot of people, both students and parents, have worked very hard to make this night a reality. On behalf of our faculty and the school board I just wanted to say 'thank you' to those individuals. And now, I won't hold up the festivities any longer."

As soon as the Principal was off of the stage, Gideon began his first song. Elyon and Miranda stood near the front listening to the music while everyone else danced happily.

As Matt held her close, Will whispered "This is nice. I almost wish you hadn't tied so we could dance all night."

"Me too." He agreed. "And by the way, I like the new dress. It's what you needed Corny for yesterday right?"

"Yeah." Will admitted. "With everything else going on, I hadn't gotten a chance to find it any sooner."

"I can't help but notice your choice of fashion accessories." Matt said, indicating the Heart Will was wearing in plain view.

"It seemed wise to keep it close. Besides, if anyone notices the glow I can pass it off as a trick of the lights."

"Smart." Matt agreed.

About twenty feet from Will and Matt, Irma and Martin were also dancing slowly. "Martin, you've surprised me tonight." Irma said, "You're an excellent dancer."

"Well, the Tubbs family is a big clan. I've had lots of practice at wedding receptions and anniversary parties." Martin answered.

"It shows." Irma said.

"Thanks. So… Are you girls expecting some kind of trouble? I can't help but notice Will's got that Heart thing with her…"

"Better safe than sorry. Besides, she's almost always got it on her, it's just usually tucked under her shirt."

"Gotcha. By the way, I've been thinking maybe I should take Caleb up on that training offer. I'll never be great at that kind of thing, but a little fighting skill couldn't hurt, right?"

Irma looked Martin in the eyes. "Alright. But don't you dare go getting in over your head like Matt did at first."

Martin made a quick salute. "Scout's honor." They both laughed…

After an hour, the bands changed over. Matt took the stage and opened with "Will to Love" while Elyon and Miranda finally got their chance to dance. At the refreshment table Alborn and Miriabelle watched their adopted daughter dancing happily with Joel. "I was worried at first about her spending so much time back on earth." Alborn said, "But now I see it really was the right thing to do."

"Yes. She's happier having both sides of her life, both worlds." Miriabelle answered. "And look at Miranda as well. Who would've thought she had it in her to make such a turn around?"

Dancing slowly, held tightly in Gideon's arms, Miranda felt more at peace than she ever had before. "To think I owe all of this to people I used to think of as enemies." She thought to herself. "I was such a fool…"

"Is something wrong?" Gideon asked.

"No, why do you ask?"

"This." He answered, wiping a single tear from her cheek.

"Oh. No, actually I was just thinking how right everything is now." Miranda said. "My whole world has turned around for the better since I first came here. And now, tonight… It's just like everything is perfect. I didn't used to think happiness even really existed. And now I couldn't be happier."

"I'm glad. And I'm also glad I was able to be a part of that." Gideon paused, then added "I am a part of that, right?"

"Oh, you're a very big part of it." Miranda said with a laugh. They continued to dance in silence, just happy to be together…

Just as Matt was finishing the song, the trouble started. A loud commotion filled the room, pouring in from the hallway outside. The sounds of men shouting stopped the dance in its tracks as everyone looked towards the closed doors. Four security guards from inside the gymnasium slipped out to assist with whatever was happening.

The shouting grew louder. Sounds of a struggle were heard, followed by gunshots which trailed off quickly. There was a brief silence. Then the double doors flew open. Several students had to run out of the way as the doors didn't just open but were throw clean off of their hinges and into the room.

Enter: The Dominators, in human form and dressed for dancing. "We have arrived!" Judas exclaimed to the stunned students and adults, "Let the REAL party begin…"


	114. Episode TwentyThree Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Three: "Xanatos, Redux" Chapter Three

"What's the matter?" Judas shouted, "We thought you'd be happy to see us! Haven't you all been sad and upset over how we just up and vanished? Well here we are!"

"They're afraid of us." Uriah said. "I like that."

Showing impressive courage, the Principal stood and got their attention. "I for one am glad that you've come back. Won't you let us get you the help you need?"

Angry, Judas fired a blast of Hate at the ground just in front of Knicklebocker's feet. "We don't need help!" he spat out.

Knicklebocker backed down and ran for cover behind the refreshment table. Seeing her coming, Tom whispered "Blunk! Hide!"

"No, better idea. Blunk, get me to Meridian." Alborn said. Blunk opened a fold and they both jumped through. It closed just before the Principal ducked behind the table.

"Now what do we do?" Knicklebocker wondered.

As the Principal was ducking behind the table, Stanrych and Captain Ananias arrived. "Sir, request permission to try and reason with them again. This is my son after all."

"Granted." Stanrych answered.

Anthony approached the Dominators from behind. "Judas? Son? I'd like to talk."

"Well well… How you doin' pop?" Judas answered. "Back to pretend you care again?"

"I DO care. Judas, I'm sorry if I wasn't a better father. But we can still work things out. Or at least we can try. Besides, your Principal was right, you DO need help. The Guardians have told us about the powers Neera gave you. They are killing you. You'll die if you don't get rid of them!"

"Guardians! Liars!" Sandra interrupted. "They just want to be the only game in town!" She turned and glared at Will. "Isn't that right, _Guardian_ Will?"

All across the gym, a subtle gasp was heard. Will thought to the other Guardians "Now what?"

"We're exposed now. No preventing it. We might as well just roll with things from here." Taranee answered.

"You're half right." Will thought back. "_I'm _exposed now. Not you. The rest of you stay out of it unless they force a fight." She turned to face the Dominators. Removed the Heart from around her neck and held it out, flashing its light but not transforming. "We just want to help you Sandra. To help all of you. Like it or not, we're telling the truth. The power Neera gave you is toxic."

"Judas, can't we try to talk this through?" Anthony insisted. "Just let everyone else go, then you and me and the Guardian here can…" Before Anthony could finish, Judas interrupted him.

"Talk, talk, talk! Enough talk! And no one else is going anywhere! Dominators, Unite!"

After transforming, Judas and Bess combined powers to destroy the roof of them gym. The students below cowered as Courtney caught the falling pieces and used them to barricade to doors, trapping everyone. "Now, who wants to dance with me?" Uriah shouted. He grabbed a random female student and forced her to dance with him…

"I think we've reached point-of-no-return" Elyon thought to the other Guardians.

"Yeah." Will replied. "I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this."

"Everyone meet up at Will's position. We'll confront them together." Cassidy said.

"Hang on a sec." Taranee thought, "I've got to get away from Nigel first." Hay Lin, Elyon, Alchemy, and Miranda said the same thing about their dates.

"Nige, I've gotta go." Taranee said, "Will needs my help."

"But how could you help her? If she's one of the Guar…" He stopped mid-word as understanding struck him. "You… You're one too aren't you?"

"Yeah. And I've got a job to do now." She hugged Nigel tightly, said "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner… And on our own terms."

"It's okay Tara. Just be careful, and we'll talk it over when you get done."

Irma kissed Martin, then turned and started towards where Will was standing. Hay Lin did the same with Eric. As the girls walked away, Eric tried to stop them, but Martin cut him off. "They've got a duty Eric." He said. "But they know what they're doing. They'll be fine."

Eric stared at Martin, shocked. "You knew? If Irma could tell you, why didn't Hay Lin trust me?"

"Irma didn't tell me. Pretty much everyone who knows has found out like this: accidentally." Martin answered.

"That helps some. But I still can't believe this…"

"Keep watching. You ain't seen nothin' yet."

As Cornelia, Elyon, and Miranda moved away from them, Gideon and Joel didn't know what to think. "El's a part of this too?" Joel wondered.

"And Miranda?" Gideon echoed.

"This is just a joke right? I mean, she's Elyon Brown, not some superhero…"

Standing next to them, Caleb said "Wrong. She's not just Elyon Brown. She's Queen Elyon, ruler of Meridian… And the Guardian of Light."

As Caleb was speaking, Miriabelle slipped up behind him. "Alborn's gone for help." She said.

As the others converged on Will, Cassidy leapt over the table and joined them. Peering over the tabletop, Knicklebocker exclaimed "What are you doing?"

"Our job." Will answered. Then she cast the Heart into the air. "Guardians, Unite!" Orbs of light surged from the Heart, transforming the Guardians.

"Whoa…" Eric breathed out.

"No kidding." Nigel agreed. "Our girlfriends have superpowers… How does one go about getting used to that?"

"It's not easy." Matt told them. "Then again, this won't be too easy for you either…" He then changed into his regent form and joined the girls.

Regent and Guardians faced Dominators in the air above the gymnasium. "We aren't supposed to be fighting!" Uriah exclaimed, 'What if Garix shows up?"

Smirking, Irma answered "Oh that's right… you don't know yet. Garix is no longer a threat to anyone."

"In that case, we're back on." Bess said.

"Yeah, and it's about time, too." Judas agreed. "Let's do this…"


	115. Episode TwentyThree Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Three: "Xanatos, Redux" Chapter Four

As had become the usual pattern, Judas started the fighting by trying to blast Will with his Hate powers. Cornelia blocked the attack with a shield, but was driven back when Bess joined in.

Uriah proved more powerful than before; the fear of the trapped students below boosted his might. He drew on that source and found himself able to create images of what people nearby most feared. Yellow-energy images of snakes, spiders, and even a couple of clowns poured out of his hands and attacked the Guardians.

Three of the spider constructs went after Alchemy, who dispersed them with a blast of her own power. Another lunged at Miranda, who just laughed. "You expect me to be afraid of a spider? You've got a lot to learn Uriah." She said.

Irma found herself in-between Bess and Courtney. They both charged at her, only to nearly hit each other when Irma teleported out of the way at the last second. Moments later, Cassidy, channeling Air and Water froze Bess solid, sending her plunging to the ground. Angry, Courtney went after Cassidy.

Taranee and Elyon found themselves facing Uriah's clown images. Taranee tried to burn them apart, but her fire had no effect. "Why isn't it working?" Elyon wondered.

"This might be a bad time to admit I was always afraid of clowns as a little kid…" Taranee answered.

"Help Will and Matt then." Elyon replied. "I've got this… Clowns never scared me. Point in fact, they always kind of made me _mad_…"

Having destroyed the fear-powered images attacking her, Alchemy saw Bess falling to the ground, followed by screams when she landed. The Faith Guardian flew down to the gym floor where she found Bess struggling to get free of the ice and shards of ice busted off of the block scattered around. The screams had come from Knicklebocker, who's leg had been impaled by one of the ice shards.

"She needs help!" Someone exclaimed. "We've gotta find a way to get her out of here!"

Alchemy then saw her mother kneeling next to the Principal. "No, it'll be alright." Paula said, "Alchemy's right here." She looked to her daughter and said "You can help this, right?"

"Absolutely." Alchemy answered. She knelt down and placed a hand on either side of the wound. "This won't hurt a bit." She said. "Faith!" Alchemy's power flowed into the injury, simultaneously repairing the damage and melting away the remaining ice as it went. In moments the wound was gone, without so much as a scar.

Alchemy stood and started to fly away, then had a thought. She turned back to the Principal and said, "Ma'am? We're terribly sorry about all of this. We'll help repair the damage when it's over."

"You and your friends have nothing to apologize for, this is their fault, not yours." Knicklebocker answered. "Besides, the school's insured, as long as they don't try to say magic powers count as an 'act of god.'"

Battling Judas and Sandra together with Will, Matt suddenly noticed something. The chain Judas wore the Heart of Varthan on had obtained a second gem. He looked again and realized what he was seeing. "You took the Heart of Zambala out of its staff?" he exclaimed. "Dude, that's just wrong."

"What can I say?" Judas answered, "I got tired of carting a big ugly stick around." He created an orb of concentrated power and threw it towards Matt. After a few seconds, the orb exploded, spewing Hate energy in all directions. Matt was thrown back but managed to stay in the air.

Meanwhile, Will was dueling Sandra. With Miranda nearby the Dominator's power was weakened, but she had just enough distance to not be totally shut down. Will tried to blast Sandra repeatedly, but her powers were too weakened by Sandra's Aura of Despair to do anything by the time they reached their target.

As Matt recovered from the orb's blast, he and Will flew back together and faced off against Judas and Sandra, who also hovered next to each other now. "This is ridiculous." Will shouted. "I know you're smart enough that you'd let us help you if you believed us about the danger you're in. What'll it take to convince you Neera's power is poisonous? We need to get you to the counsel on Kandrakar!"

"Kandrakar!" Judas spat out angrily. "This counsel of yours is lucky there's a veil keeping us out! If we could go there, I'd teach them a thing or two!"

Sudden realization lit up in Sandra's eyes. "Judas, we CAN go there!"

"What? What are you talking about? The Dark Veil keeps everyone out."

"No, Judas think about it." Sandra insisted, "Why did we agree to the temporary truce with the Guardians? Because the veil over Varthan was made by the Heart of Zambala, so if Garix had gotten that Heart he could have removed the veil. Well, Neera made the veil around Kandrakar…"

Judas understood. "…And I've got Neera right here. So I should be able to… Dominators, gather here with me!"

Uriah and Courtney broke Bess free and the three of them flew up to where Judas and Sandra were waiting. Judas focused his thoughts into the Heart of Varthan. An enormous surge of power flowed out and up into the sky. Perhaps because he was also wearing the Heart of Zambala, the fold that opened overhead as the Dark Veil fell was enormous, stretching from horizon to horizon. Through it, the fortress of infinity could be clearly seen, though it looked upside down, as if the huge fold were connecting the worlds backwards. Anyone looking up into the fold from either side would be looking down on the other world. There was also some kind of magnifying effect, as the people looking up from earth could see the Oracle and the counsel quite clearly as they emerged to see what was happening.

On the ground below, adults and teens were looking up in fear, confusion, and awe. The adults all gathered together near the center of the gym floor. Elizabeth Hale, among those who hadn't learned the truth until after the Dark Veil was raised and had consequently never seen Kandrakar, asked "What is that?"

"That," Susan replied, "Is Kandrakar. It's the world the Guardian's powers come from."

"The bald guy that just walked out is the Oracle." Dean added.

"Well… This is good, right?" Lionel asked. "I mean, it's a good thing that they can get there again isn't it?"

"It should be." Tom answered, "But somehow I'm not sure…"

"Cop's gut instinct." Stanrych said, "I can appreciate it, seeing as you get something similar from being in the service long enough. This should be good, but something's just… …off."

At the Hale's home, Lillian was watching television with Napoleon at her side and Huggles in her lap. She was still upset with her parents for hiring a babysitter, and was wondering if maybe she could convince them to trust her alone next time.

Then she felt something. It was an odd sensation, the certainty of something unusual happening up above her. She looked up at the ceiling but didn't see anything different. She did notice that the cat and dormouse were also looking up however. When Napoleon ran to a window, she followed, opened it, and looked up at the sky. "Oh wow…" she whispered…

"So that's the counsel huh?" Judas asked when they saw the Oracle through the fold, "Let's go have a word with them…"

Before the Guardians could make any move to stop them, all five of the Dominators flew straight up at full speed, and passed through the giant fold. Once in Kandrakar, they flew down directly in front of the Counsel, prepared to attack…

…And that's when things took a turn for the worse…


	116. Episode TwentyThree Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Three: "Xanatos, Redux" Chapter Five

Kandrakar. The Fortress of Infinity. Himerish stood with the rest of the counsel, facing the newly-arrived Dominators. "It can only be you who removed the Dark Veil." he said, "And I acknowledge that we should be grateful for that. Nevertheless, if you truly think you can defeat us here, at the center of our powers, you have much to learn."

Judas laughed at the Oracle's words, then tried to attack. But instead of the massive blast of Hate energy the Dominator leader expected, he managed only a thin trickle of power. Judas looked at his hands, confused, then cast an accusing glare at the counsel. "What did you do to me?" He demanded.

Before Himerish could answer that he had, as yet, did nothing, all five of the Dominators doubled over, clutching their sides in agony. "Oracle, what is happening to them?" Halinoor asked.

"I do not know…"

Back on earth, The Guardians were hovering just above the ground, parents and friends standing beneath them. Everyone was looking up through the still-open fold, watching to see what might happen next. "Shouldn't we be following them?" Irma asked.

Will answered "We will. But first, let's see what the Oracle has up his sleeves."

The girls and Matt slowly lowered to the gym floor and continued watching, also confused when the Dominators suddenly fell ill. "Is this what you sensed?" Taranee asked Miranda, "Is this the power poisoning them?"

"I don't think so." Miranda answered, "I wouldn't think that would've hit them quite so soon… Or hit all five of them at once."

General Stanrych, standing with the other adults, said "Cop and soldier's instinct, like we were discussing earlier… Something is very, very wrong here…"

In Kandrakar, the Dominator's symptoms grew worse. Unable to fly, they fell to the floor of a balcony outside the Fortress. Then, they were surrounded by a dark aura that lifted them back into the air. They screamed as the powers were violently pulled out of them and back into the Heart of Varthan crystal, which tore free from Judas' necklace as the now powerless Dominators fell once more.

With an ear-splitting shriek and a blinding flash of light, the crystal ruptured. And when the glare faded, there stood Queen Neera, Dark Heart of Varthan, free once more, and in possession of all her powers.

"Finally!" She exclaimed, "Finally I'm free of that accursed crystal, and those ridiculous children! Finally I'm free! And Kandrakar itself is within my grasp!"

The Oracle faced Neera without backing down. He said "You cannot be here Neera. Kandrakar is off limits, as you well know. The rules which constrain your behavior clearly state…"

The Dark Queen interrupted, "Do not presume to dictate the rules to me. I know them well. If there is a fool in these proceedings it is you. You call yourself 'Oracle', yet you fail to add even two and two… You know by now that I am a master of manipulating loopholes in the rules… Yet you did not see this outcome."

Luba, angry, stepped forward. "Explain yourself!" she snarled…

"Oh very well. Technically, the rules do not say I cannot be in Kandrakar. They simply say that I cannot willingly, of my own volition, travel here, and that the same applies to my servants. Now, these idiot humans ceased to be my servants when they betrayed me, therefore they were not bound from coming. And since I was trapped in the crystal, I was bought here against my will… breaking no rules."

"Against your will?" Halinoor shouted, "It was still your intent for them to eventually come here!"

Neera replied, "Yes, but they did not know that. The greater powers in the infinite worlds may not like what I've done, but as I broke no rules, at least technically, they cannot accost me. And now that I'm here, I'm free to do as I wish."

"Are you hearing this?" Will said to the other Guardians, "She planned this all along! Everyone, Us, Garix, the Dominators, everyone… We've been playing into her plans all along…"

Irma glanced over to her boyfriend. "Martin called it." she realized, "Xanatos Gambit. It was just bigger and more layered than we realized."

"So what do we do now?" Cornelia wondered.

"She's alone right now." Taranee said. "First priority is to get to Judas and grab the Heart of Zambala off of him. Get it back here to earth where she won't be willing to follow, since she'd be unable to go back to Kandrakar again if she did. Then, we take her on with the counsel's assistance."

"Our assistance too." Stanrych said. "If the earth is in danger, I'm not sitting things out."

"Neither are we." came a familiar voice. Everyone looked to see Alborn leading an army of Meridian soldiers through a fold. Raythor, Vathic, and Julian were among the troops. The men bowed low before Elyon, including Alborn. As usual, seeing her 'father' bow made the Queen uncomfortable. "Your majesty," Alborn said, "The Guardians have done much for Meridian. Now, the army of Meridian stands ready to aid them…"

"Everyone, five minutes with family, just in case." Will thought to the other Guardians, "Then we go for broke…"

Neera's words hung heavy in the air. "Now that I'm here, I'm free to do what I wish."

Still facing her off, Himerish asked "And what, exactly, do you wish to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Neera asked. She laughed out loud, then continued "Kandrakar is the center. The heart. The nexus at the very core of infinity. From Varthan, I could have spread my power over thousands of worlds. But from here… From here, I can rule them all…" And as the Dark Queen laughed once more, the very foundations of the Fortress trembled…

Author's note: If you liked this story, please stop by my profile page where I have a poll for deciding which of four possible stories to write first, after this one is over. (And after 'Blunk and Napoleon's Excellent Adventure') There are short descriptions of each story in the profile. Thanks!


	117. Episode TwentyFour Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Four: "Endgame, Part One" Chapter One

Heatherfield, the ruined Sheffield Institute gymnasium. Each of the Guardians was with her family, trying to reassure them before flying through the fold to Kandrakar and confronting Queen Neera. Though they did their best to hide it, they were actually saying goodbye, just in case. Neera was, after all, the Heart of her world. The full extent of her powers was unknown, but vast.

Will stood by her mother and stepfather. "Well, it looks like this is it." She said. "One last villain to stomp and we're in the clear for awhile."

Susan grabbed Will and held her tightly. "Just make sure you're the one who does the stomping, and not the one who _gets _stomped." She said.

"Don't worry mom. This should actually be easier than the Dominators would have been. After all, it's just one enemy instead of five." Will lied.

Still holding tight, Susan laughed. "Don't you lie to me Will. I know you're scared even if you don't want to show it."

"You mom's right Will." Dean said. "We know you have to do this, but you don't have to lie to us about anything anymore."

Will pulled back from her mother who let go reluctantly. "Thanks Dean. And, yeah, you're right, I am a little worried. But don't you worry. Neera's strong, but she's also all alone. That really does work in our favor."

Susan looked over Will's shoulder, to where Matt was standing, aloof, several feet away. "You get over here too Mathew Olson." She said. When he stepped close, Susan hugged him as well. "Take care of her." She said.

"Count on it." Matt answered.

Irma stood with Martin by her side, speaking with her parents. "We'll have lots of help thanks to Alborn." She was saying. "This should be a cakewalk."

Anna stared unconvinced at her daughter. "A three-ton magical spider should be a cakewalk?" she said with a touch of sarcasm, "I'd hate to see what you consider a problem."

Tom placed a hand on Anna's shoulder, intending to comfort her. "Remember, I have seen what she would call a problem. This really isn't all that bad in comparison…"

"Yeah," Martin agreed, "Garix had a whole army at his back. This time it's the other way around."

"Garix had a whole army and lost." Anna reminded them. "I know you Irma… Don't get cocky this time…"

"I won't." Irma assured her. She turned to Martin. "Guess I better go. Lots to do. Like finding a giant rolled-up newspaper to smush the big ugly spider with."

Martin laughed, then said "Be careful Irma."

"Always."

Taranee walked slowly towards where her parents were waiting. Nigel was also with them. "Great." She thought to herself, "It'll be hard enough talking to mom and dad. What am I gonna say to Nigel?"

"Mom, dad… I.." she started, still not knowing what to say.

Mercifully, Theresa saved her from the first half of the uncertainty by interrupting. "Tara, you don't need to say anything to us, if you're not sure how to say it. We know how you feel, and we understand this is something you've got to do, as much as we might hate it. Nigel's the one you should be explaining thing to."

"Yeah," Taranee agreed, "I guess so." She turned to face her boyfriend. "I've only got a couple minutes, but…"

"It'll be enough." Nigel answered, taking her hands in his as he did. "Tell me."

"The short version is, we've been doing this since just before you and I started dating. It's been quite a ride, too, but we've been able to do so much good for so many people…" She paused for a moment, then continued "I'm sorry I didn't tell you on my own. For what it's worth I'm not the only one though. Actually, none of us has purposely told anyone except our parents."

"Why didn't you tell us though? Tara… Did you think you couldn't trust me?"

"Whoa! Hold on, it's not like that at all! It's just… …I think we were afraid you guys would be more likely to get hurt somehow if you knew. And then the whole 'Neera' thing started and it was true; for awhile at first, anyone who didn't know was totally safe from her…"

"I guess I can understand that." Nigel answered. "I still wish you woulda told me though… You, and Matt."

"I'm sorry Nige. If I had it to do over, I think I would."

"That's good then." Nigel answered.

"Are we cool?" Taranee asked.

"Yeah, we're cool. So, I guess it's about time?"

"Yeah. See you when this is over." Taranee hugged Nigel tightly, then did the same with both parents.

"Take care of yourself… And your friends." Lionel said. "We want all of you back in one piece."

Cornelia sat on the edge of a table across from Harold and Elizabeth. "So this is it." Harold said. "You don't know how much I wish I knew enough about fighting to help…"

"Make that both of us." Elizabeth said.

"I'm glad you can't." Cornelia said. "It's bad enough I'll have to worry about Caleb being in the middle of this. I'm not sure I could take the two of you in it as well."

Elizabeth looked over at Caleb. "Oh god, it hadn't occurred to me that he'd be going with you. But, I suppose it only makes sense."

"Yeah. Rebel leader, Elyon's Honor Guard… Try to keep him out of the middle of things." Cornelia laughed.

"Eric?" Hay Lin stood just behind her boyfriend.

"Oh, hey Hay." He replied. 'So… I guess this explains all those times you had to run off with the girls in the middle of dates and such?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's cool. I was upset for a couple minutes, but Martin talked me down." Eric explained. "He talked about how we would've been in danger if we'd known, how you kept quiet for our safety. I still kinda wish I'd known sooner, but I get why you didn't."

They embraced briefly. As they stepped back apart, Hay's parents came up behind her, each put a hand on a shoulder. "Are you two good?" Joan asked.

"Yeah. And now I guess it's your turn." Hay Lin answered.

"You bet it is." Her father answered. "You know, the whole time you were growing up, all I ever wanted was to keep you safe. I… admit… I may have gone a little overboard at times…" (Here everyone in hearing range laughed.) "…But I hope you know it was only because I love you so much. And now this."

As father and daughter embraced, Joan said "What your father is trying to tell you is, we're scared out of our wits for you… But we're also so very proud of you. Do your duty: But be safe." Joan fell silent as Hay Lin reached out with one arm and pulled her in…


	118. Episode TwentyFour Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Four: "Endgame, Part One" Chapter Two

Miranda stood alone in a corner. She wanted to talk to Gideon before leaving, but she didn't know what to say. Or, she had to admit to herself, how to deal with the possibility that he wouldn't want anything to do with her now that he knew the truth. And so, here she stood, all by herself, hoping the others would finish up quickly so they could go. "I'm just putting off the unavoidable…" she thought, "But maybe Cass can help me work through this before I talk to him that way."

This hope was not to be however. Even as these thoughts crossed Miranda's mind she heard a familiar voice behind her. "I, uh, I like the long hair." Gideon said in reference to the ankle-length braid Miranda gained in her Guardian form. "It looks good on you."

Shocked that he had sought her out, Miranda turned to face him. "Thanks. I like it too, though it took some getting used to when I started doing this. So, you're okay right? You didn't get hurt or anything during all this mess did you?"

"Nah. Well actually one of the doors flew right at me when they busted in but I've always had good reflexes, got out of the way easy." Gideon said. "Are YOU okay? I mean, I don't want to pry unwanted but I kinda thought you'd come back to me."

"I wanted to." Miranda admitted. "I didn't know if you'd want me to."

Gideon took Miranda's hands in his own. "I'll always want you to."

"I hope so. But don't make promises you can't keep. There's still a lot about me you don't know. Seriously, this is pretty minor compared to some of it."

"We'll cross one bridge at a time then." Gideon replied…

Paula Ethel paced nervously back and forth while her husband and daughter tried to calm her down. "C'mon mom," Alchemy was saying, "This isn't any different than when we went to Zambala. And that worked out alright didn't it?"

"We're going to be seeing all of it this time." Paula said, motioning to the huge open fold still filling the sky."

"You could always not look up." Alchemy suggested.

"I'm still your mother. Don't you dare coddle me." Paula exclaimed.

"Sorry. But really, shouldn't this make it better? You'll know what's happening, rather than having to worry until we get back."

"Al, I think that only helps for as long as things are going well. If things go badly, it'd be worse." Arthur explained.

"Good point." Alchemy admitted. "I'm telling you though, this'll work out fine. Neera's outnumbered, on OUR home turf… and at the mercy of a little trick Elyon worked into the Heart of Meridian aura mirrors just in case…"

"Trick?" Paula inquired, "What trick?"

"You'll see… If it proves necessary."

"I for one feel better hearing that." Arthur said, trying to encourage his wife. 'So Al, what happened to your date anyway?"

"Unlike the other girls, mine was just a date, not an actual boyfriend. He ran for it at the first sign of trouble." Alchemy said with a chuckle. "Seriously, he was out the door so fast I don't think Hay Lin could've caught up with him even flying full speed…"

While Taranee was talking to Nigel, Theresa stepped close to Cassidy. "You're the one with the most experience," she said, "So talk to me. How bad is this, really?"

"Bad." Cassidy answered honestly. "But, we really have seen worse. Remember, the girls beat down an opponent with the power of _three _hearts several months ago. Of course it took full Zenith-level power to do it…"

"Is that dangerous?"

"Not directly, though there are risks, which is why it's a last-resort level tactic." Cassidy explained.

As she finished explaining, Cassidy's cell phone rang. She answered, already knowing who it had to be. "Cass, what's happening?" Peter asked. "This doesn't look good."

"It's not, but don't worry. We've got it under control. Keep looking up, you'll see the whole thing once the fighting starts."

"I'll be watching…" Peter said. He paused for a moment, then added "Cass, I'm thinking maybe I should have went ahead with that proposal yesterday…"

"Does that mean you are now?" Cassidy asked.

"Danged right it does. So, what'dya say?"

"Well what do you think? Of course." Cassidy said laughing.

"Good. We'll work things out when you get back then."

As Cassidy hung up, Theresa, still standing close by, said "Congratulations… But it had better be a LONG engagement…"

Elyon and Joel faced each other, holding hands. "You're taller than me now." He said.

"It's temporary. When the fighting's over everything goes back to normal." She glanced around the damaged gym. "Mostly."

"It's a good thing school's out for the summer in just a couple of weeks. They'll have this repaired by the time we come back in the fall." Joel said. "So… You're actually a queen… Should I be bowing or something?"

"Don't you dare." Elyon said laughing. "It's freaky enough for me when my parents do it, I don't need it from friends too."

"Alright." Joel answered. "I, uh, I'd kiss you, but…"

"My parents right here messing it up?"

"Not so much. But your big army guys look like they could snap me in half." Joel said looking at Raythor and Vathic who were standing nearby.

"We could." Raythor replied, "But we want her majesty happy so as long as she wants you around we'll restrain ourselves."

"Oh. Well, in that case…" Joel started to answer, but was cut off when Elyon kissed him.

"Gotta go." Elyon said when they separated.

"Yeah. Be careful."

As Elyon and Vathic moved to rejoin the others, Raythor held back long enough to say "You're a lucky man mate. Just don't mess it up, or we'll have words…"


	119. Episode TwentyFour Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Four: "Endgame, Part One" Chapter Three

The Guardians gathered in the center of the gym floor, together with Matt, Caleb, Raythor, and General Stanrych. Blunk peered into the huddle from behind Matt. "So what's the plan?" Caleb asked.

Will replied "We've got three things to worry about here: First, getting the Dominators out of harm's way and back to earth for medical attention. And connected to that, getting the Heart of Zambala out of Kandrakar before Neera gets ahold of it. Second, keeping the counsel of Kandrakar safe from harm. And third, of course, getting rid of Neera herself."

Elyon picked up where Will left off. "Fortunately, Neera seems unaware of what was happening while she was trapped in the crystal. She doesn't know Judas has the Heart of Zambala, or she would've grabbed it off of him by now. Likewise, she's unaware we've got three more Guardians with us than before."

"Should we divide our forces for differing missions then your highness?" Raythor asked.

"Exactly. Blunk?"

Hearing his name, the Passling slipped past Matt and stood before his Queen. "Blunk ready." He said. "Scared, but ready."

Elyon knelt down to Blunk's level and said "I need you to open two folds into the fortress. The first one should open into the Grand Hall. Leave that one open. The second should open…" She looked up, tried to get her bearings to identify the exact balcony the Dominators were laying on. "The second should open just inside from that balcony, so I guess the north corridor."

"Who goes where?" Matt wondered.

Taranee, who had worked the plan with Elyon telepathically, said "Miranda, Alchemy and Cassidy will use the fold Blunk leaves open, and wait out of sight until we need them. Caleb, you'll take half of the Meridian soldiers and go through that fold too. Your mission is to evacuate the counsel back here."

"You can count on me." Caleb said.

"Raythor," Elyon said, "You'll take the remaining troops with Blunk and get the Dominators and the Heart of Zambala to safety. Blunk, close that second fold the instant you're all back through safely."

Raythor and Blunk acknowledged their instructions, then Anthony asked "What about me? Don't leave me out of this with my son's life in danger."

"If the General's okay with it, you can accompany Raythor's team." Elyon answered.

"We both will." Stanrych said. "Now, what about the rest of you? I hope you've got a plan beyond running in with guns blazing so to speak."

"Somewhat." Will answered. "The rest of us, Matt included, will fly straight up and through the giant fold Judas made. It's short on strategy, but it's what Neera expects us to be dumb enough to do, which we can tweak to our benefit."

"And the dumber she thinks we are, the better the big plan will work." Irma added. "Y'know, when we think of a big plan…"

Kandrakar. Himerish and Neera faced off at a distance of about twenty feet. "Do you truly think you can defeat me?" Neera taunted him. "I've been planning this for years, Oracle. My contingencies have contingencies of their own. And you are just a weak 'wise man'. You cannot resist the might of Varthan." Neera motioned with one hand, intending to open a fold to Varthan. Nothing happened. "What?" She screamed. Turned enraged to the counsel. "You put a veil around Varthan? HOW DARE YOU?"

Halinoor actually laughed at Neera. "Not enough contingencies it appears."

"And you are mistaken in another way." The Oracle added. "I am not just a weak wise man." He unleashed a powerful blast of mystical energy that knocked Neera backwards. "The title of Oracle comes with much power." He blasted her a second time, but she was ready and weathered this attack better.

"You call that power?" Neera sneered. "THIS is power." She raised both arms and her front pair of legs, creating a dark sphere of energy between them. The massed power exploded outwards, covering the counsel members and weakening their own powers.

As the counsel struggled to get free of the dark energy, Neera said "Now then, contingency plans. The Guardians will come. They will see how strong I am. They will try to use the Zenith powers against me, but lose control and become my puppets. Or, they will see that outcome in advance, refuse to use Zenith, and die. Either way, I gain control of the Heart or its powers, free Varthan, and conquer infinity…"

Sheffield. "Did you see what she just did to them?" Irma exclaimed, looking up through the fold.

"Sure did." Will answered. "It's go time."

As the first team Elyon, and Matt flew up towards the fold, Blunk created two additional folds for the other teams. Everyone involved in the plan moved into position…

Will's team entered the fold and appeared over the fortress, looking straight down on Neera. They dove right at her. Will fired a blast of electrical power at the Dark Queen's head, missing by inches when Neera sensed the attack coming. "At last you come!" Neera shouted. "I was beginning to wonder if you had the courage to face me."

"Who's afraid of spiders?" Irma answered, "Houseflies? We're a lot bigger than flies!"

"Better armed too." Taranee said. "Fire!" As Taranee fired a stream of liquid flame, Will, and Elyon added their own attacks. Neera dodged left and right but couldn't avoid all of the attacks. A blast of fire struck her mid-back and started to burn. Then, Cornelia pulled the marble floor of the fortress balcony up, encasing the Queen in solid stone.

Neera burst free of the marble with a roar, sending chunks of marble flying in all directions. She fired a beam of dark energy towards Will and Cornelia, but they ducked out of the way easily. Before Neera could launch another attack, she was hit squarely from behind by Matt's own energy beams. Tossed end over end, but not seriously hurt, Neera ended up facing Matt upside down.

"You will suffer for this indignity Regent!" Neera said. Matt had no chance to react before he was struck with a wall of pure telekinectic energy from the Dark Queen. Overwhelmed, he focused his power inward to try to ride out the attack…


	120. Episode TwentyFour Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Four: "Endgame, Part One" Chapter Four

While the Guardians fought with Queen Neera, their allies staged missions of their own. Caleb, Julian, and Vathic emerged from a fold into the Aura Mirror chamber, along with several Meridian soldiers and the three newest Guardians. "Okay," Caleb said, "We all know the mission. Grab the counsel and get them back to safety on earth. Any questions?"

"Just one sir." A former rebel soldier asked, "Why are we so certain earth is any safer than here? If this Neera is a heart she can open her own folds to follow us."

"That wouldn't work in this case." Caleb answered. "Neera's gone to a lot of trouble to work around her rules and get here. If she takes even one step through a fold somewhere else, that's destroyed. She'll stay right where she is."

"She'll stay if she has a say in it." Julian said. He turned to the Guardians. "Couldn't the other Guardians just open a fold behind her and shove her through it?"

"I'll suggest it." Alchemy said. "But there's no way things will be that easy. She's probably prepared for it."

Miranda added "And besides, shove her through to where? What world would take her besides her own? And we REALLY don't want her back there."

"Caleb, can we help somehow?" Alchemy asked. "I hate just waiting here while everyone else is working."

"You'd better not. Best to stick to the plan." Caleb said. He motioned to his troops and left the room.

"Phooey." Alchemy said.

"Tell me about it Al," Cassidy said as she leaned back against the wall, "Tell me about it…"

"MATT!" Will shouted as she saw her boyfriend under attack. She flew in a wide arc, spiraling in a random pattern to avoid Neera's counterattacks as she dived in to attack, blasting away with Quintessence bolts as she went. Elyon and Taranee joined her, opening up with everything they had.

As electrical jolts, fireballs and explosive bursts of light erupted all around her, Neera was forced to abandon her attack on Matt in order to defend herself. As she turned from her former target, Irma and Hay Lin jumped into the fray, They knew that combining powers to freeze the Dark Queen herself was pointless. She would burst free in seconds. So instead, they targeted the floor under her feet, creating a sheet of solid ice. Neera slipped around, unable to get a solid grip on the floor, her shots of dark power going wildly astray of their intended targets as she slid about.

Will landed next to Matt. "Are you okay?" she exclaimed, voice full of worry.

"I'll be good." Matt answered. He put a hand to his head "Gonna be in serious pain tomorrow though… Remind me to not tick off anymore spiders though…"

"Sage advice for anyone. Are you able to fly?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Matt answered. Together they flew back up to rejoin the others.

Meanwhile, Caleb's team carefully made their way to the outer door opening onto the balcony where the Oracle and the rest of the counsel were disabled. They looked and saw that Neera was too busy to notice what they were doing.

Slipping out the door, the found that the counsel members were stuck to the floor by the same dark bands that were preventing them from using their own powers. Caleb and Julian tried to lift the Oracle to his feet, but couldn't overcome the dark power Neera had bound him with.

"Alchemy." Halinoor said.

Julian knelt down beside her. "What did you say?"

"Alchemy." She answered. "Her powers can dispel evil. She could remove these bands of power and free us."

"She's supposed to stay out of sight." Caleb said. "But I guess there's a time for breaking the rules and changing the plan. I'll go get her." He ran into the fortress.

Alchemy leaned against a column and opened her mind to the telepathic link. "Suggestion from Caleb's dad." She thought to the others, "Trying to shove Neera through a fold."

"It's worth a shot." Cornelia answered. "Will, we could use the ice rink Irma and Hay Lin made: You open a fold at one end, then I tilt the floor and send her sliding into it."

"Whoa." Irma thought to the others, "That's incredible… Corny actually thought things through and made a good plan…"

"Oh, very funny Irma!" Cornelia thought back.

Alchemy was still laughing when Caleb reached her. "We need you. Neera's bound the counsel with some kind of dark energy. Halinoor thinks you should be able to dispel it."

"Then let's go." Alchemy answered. They ran quickly to the balcony door, where Alchemy said "Maybe we can salvage keeping us out of sight. I bet I can do this from here." She closed her eyes and poured out a flood of power that flowed over the counsel, evaporating the bands and freeing Himerish and the rest of the counsel.

As they slowly pulled to their feet, the Oracle said "Those bands did more than immobilize us: they've drained our powers as well. We will need time to recover."

"That's why we're here sir." Caleb said. "Follow us, we've got a fold back to earth waiting for you." Though most of them would have ordinarily protested, the counsel was too weak to argue. They followed as Caleb led the way.

At the moment Alchemy used her powers to free the counsel, Neera's head snapped up. "What was that?" She wondered. "I felt something… Something different…" She looked around. Saw the counsel was gone. "NO!" She screamed. I need them here! How could they have freed themselves?"

Neera leapt off of the ice sheet and tried to pursue the counsel. "Uh-oh." Taranee thought. "Irma, Hay Lin, you better get ready to ice over her landing spot, then we'll try Al and Corny's plan."

"Right." Irma thought. "Hay Lin, let's do this…"


	121. Episode TwentyFour Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Four: "Endgame, Part One" Chapter Five

Raythor, Stanrych, and Anthony slipped into Kandrakar via Blunk's second fold. With them were Blunk, and a group of Meridian soldiers that included Sandpit. "Okay…" Raythor said, "Blunk, you've been here more than I have. Lead the way."

Blunk saluted. "Blunk not have way memorized either. But that okay. Blunk smell the right path. This way!" He turned and ran, followed by the others.

Soon, Blunk had led the way to the correct balcony. Looking out, they could see the Dominators laid out, barely conscious, and back in their human forms. "Sandpit, give us some exit cover." Raythor said.

As instructed, Sandpit dissolved from his humanoid form and created a cloud hanging just over head level, covering the entire balcony from sight. "Excellent." Raythor said. "Neera may know something's happening, but she won't know what or where. Let's go."

They ran together to the Dominators and knelt down by them. "Son? Can you hear me?" Anthony asked.

Judas rolled his eyes. "Dad? Can't believe you came here…"

"I'm your father Judas. I'll always come when you need me."

Coughing, Judas held up the Heart of Zambala. "Don't… Don't let Neera get ahold of this." He said.

"Neera's busy with the Guardians right now mate." Raythor said. "And we're here to get all of you, and that thing, back to earth. C'mon now."

Each of the Dominators was carefully picked up by two men, and carried back towards the fold…

As Neera tried to pursue the escaping counsel, Irma and Hay Lin iced over her path. She landed from a long jump right in the middle of a new ice sheet, slipping and sliding into a wall. "Oof!" Irma said, "That had to hurt… Or at least I hope so."

"So where exactly am I opening this fold to?" Will asked.

"The rub in the plan." Cassidy answered.

"Maybe Stanrych can have that laser he doesn't really have blast her like Garix if we send her back to earth." Irma suggested. "But then, she'd be on earth with our families and the counsel and the Heart of Zambala…"

"Oh wow." Cornelia thought, "Irma just thought things through."

"I guess I deserved that." Irma said. "But really, what else can we do?"

"Nothing." Elyon answered. "Plan's shot, forget about it Will."

Hay Lin said "If Neera's not going anywhere, maybe Irma and I should just go ahead and ice everything over, not leave her anyplace she can stand easily."

"Good idea." Will answered. "Do it. Meanwhile, any ideas on what to do next?"

Sheffield. Caleb's group returned with the counsel first, followed moments later by Raythor's group with the rescued Dominators. The injured teens were laid down on the gym floor. Blunk closed the fold they had used, but per instructions left the first one open.

The counsel members stood, looking up through the fold. Susan and Dean led the parents that hadn't been to Kandrakar over to them. "This is the counsel, and the Oracle." Dean said.

"I am pleased to finally meet the remaining Guardian's families." Himerish said, "Though I wish it were under better circumstances."

"That goes for all of us." Harold Hale said. He looked up again. "How bad is it over there?"

"Neera is potent. The Guardians have their work cut out for them, but I remain confident in them and their abilities."

"So do I." Raythor said. "But I'm still going back." He moved towards the fold Blunk left open. Caleb and the remaining Meridianites followed.

The Guardians and Matt hovered over Neera, who had just barely managed to regain a precarious footing on the slick ice coating the floors. "C'mon Neera." Will said. "You can barely stand now, let alone fight. Why don't you just give up and call it a day?"

"Queen to queen," Elyon said, "We'll open a gap in the veil around Varthan, long enough to slip you back in. You'll still be in charge of your own world at least. And that's all we're gonna let you have, so you might as well take it."

Neera glared angrily at Elyon. "I am the Dark Queen. I am the Heart of Varthan. And you actually expect me to surrender? To negotiate?" She laughed. "You are bigger fools than I thought. And by the by, I am not immobilized…" She shot a strand of what looked like thick rope, which passed between Will and Taranee and struck to the side wall of the fortress high above. With a tug, she pulled herself up, off of the slick floors, and dropped a blast of energy that began melting the ice.

"What in the world?" Hay Lin wondered as she looked at the rope.

"Spider silk." Taranee answered. "Man, I really shoulda seen this coming." She slapped her forehead against her hand. "Stupid, stupid stupid…"

Aware through the link of what was happening outside, Miranda thought "Don't beat yourself up Tara. I've _been_ a spider and it didn't occur to me either."

Ice melted away, Neera dropped back to the ground. "Now, here's my negotiation offer: You bring me back the counsel so I can make them remove the veil. Then, I'll kill you a little quicker and less painfully than what you have coming otherwise."

"Idea." Irma thought. 'She thinks the counsel put up the veil. Now that the Heart of Zambala and the Dominators are safe on earth, let's tell her the truth. Knowing she had it in her grasp and unknowingly let it go will make her really mad, like maybe mad enough to screw up."

"It's worth a shot." Elyon agreed.

"The counsel?" Will shouted at Neera. "You think they made the veil? How could they have, when they were trapped here behind your veil?"

A look of shock briefly crossed Neera's face. "That's right." She thought. "How did I miss that? But if the counsel didn't do it, then who…? This veil was your doing? That can't be. You don't know enough about the Heart!"

"A friend of ours used another Heart." Cornelia explained. "And then Judas stole that Heart."

"JUDAS!" Neera exclaimed. She looked to where the Dominators had fallen, but they were gone.

"Sorry Queenie." Irma said. "Dominators and Heart are safely back on Earth. You blew it this time."

The plan half-worked. Queen Neera was indeed enraged to learn that she had let the Heart maintaining the veil slip through her fingers. However, the hope that this rage would lead to a mistake was itself mistaken. Angrier than she had ever been in all her eons of existence, Neera cut loose with a blast of rage and hatred that swept out from her in all directions. When it passed, Matt and six Guardians lay battered on the ground, unable to move.

The Dark Queen stood over them. "How the mighty have fallen…" she cackled softly, "And now for the Heart…"


	122. Episode TwentyFive Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Five: "Endgame, Part Two" Chapter One

Sheffield. Parents, teachers, and fellow students cringed in fear when they saw the Guardians knocked from the air by Neera's rage-fueled attack. Susan cried and buried her face in Dean's shoulder. Harold Hale clenched his fist and demanded that somebody do something. Anna Lair looked straight at the oracle. "You've got to help them!" She exclaimed, "Isn't there anything you can do?"

Himerish answered by saying loudly "Mrs. Lair, and other parents of the Guardians as well, hear me: At present we are too weakened to assist the Guardians. Nevertheless, they are far from beaten." He motioned up towards the fold into Kandrakar. "Observe."

Kandrakar. Queen Neera stood over her foes, satisfied that she had finally won. "Kandrakar and its champions, the power of its Heart, are mine." She thought to herself, "Freeing Varthan becomes a minor issue compared to this. Not that such will be any difficulty either…"

As the Dark Queen stood ruminating over these thoughts, she suddenly became aware that she was not alone with the Guardians. With a loud battle-cry, Raythor leapt high into the sky and arced down, slashing his blade across Neera's armored back. The strike did no damage, but successfully distracted her from the other two Meridian soldiers who charged from in front and buried their own swords deep into the less-armored underside of her thorax.

Neera roared in pain and swung in a half circle, sweeping the two men off of their feet and sending them flying though the air. Raythor faced her, alone now. "I'd ask for a dance luv," he said, "But with so many legs you'd have to lead."

Plucking the swords from her body and casting them away, Neera sneered as she answered "With only two legs, you could never keep up with my dance moves. I guess I'll just have to eat you. I'm terribly hungry after so long in that crystal, after all, and it wouldn't do to consume the Guardians just yet…"

Raythor laughed, as he leaned to the side to peer around the Dark Queen's bulk and said "Guardians? I don't see any Guardians."

Neera chanced a quick glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, the Guardians and Matt were gone. "Clever." She said, "But it changes nothing. Kandrakar is mine either way. And of course, even if you get them back to earth, they'll just come back and try to fight me again anyway."

"You're assuming you'll still be around for them to have another shot at you." Raythor said. "Sandpit, if you please?" At Raythor's command, Sandpit surged forward out of hiding, enveloping Neera and forcing his way into the chinks of her armor at each leg's joints. Once in, he continued moving, painfully scouring away at the muscles within the joints.

Neera unleashed a blast of power, forcing Sandpit out after only a few seconds. As he recollected himself for another assault, Raythor held out a hand. "No mate, that'll do. Wouldn't want you in the line of fire now would we?"

Neera, still irritated by the damage Sandpit had inflicted, didn't have a chance to ask what line of fire Raythor was speaking of before she found out firsthand. From behind, she heard the voices of two girls each speaking a single word. Then the attack struck home, powerful blasts of blue and pure white energy that were incredibly painful to the Dark Queen.

Turning, Neera saw three new Guardians. It took her a moment to recognize Alchemy and Cassidy, though the third… "Miranda. I must say you continue to surprise me. First you overcome my Mindflayers, and now this. The powers of a Guardian. What is this power you have? It actually hurts me."

"It would." Miranda answered. "Ours are powers of light, from the Light of Meridian, and you are nothing but darkness within and without."

"Well said. Ladies, if I may suggest, this isn't a good time for the usual hero/villain monologing though." Cassidy said. "I vote we just kick her butt."

"Seconded." Miranda said.

"All in favor?" Alchemy asked. From all around Neera came the sound of the other Guardians agreeing.

Neera looked around at the Guardians surrounding her. "How could you have recovered so quickly?"

"Healing powers." Alchemy grinned.

"Hmm. I see I have a greater challenge than I had thought." Neera murmured. She focused a portion of her power and sent out a signal, setting into motion a new contingency measure…

Sheffield. Judas awoke with a start, sitting straight upwards. He saw the other Dominators were also waking up. He heard the call: "Come to me." Neera's voice, echoing in his mind, pulling him to bring the Heart of Zambala to her in Kandrakar. Of course, he couldn't fly up to the fold in the sky, his Dominator powers were gone.

"Good." He thought. Serving Neera was the last thing he wanted to do. "With no fold, I can't obey the command." Even as he thought it, though, a new fold opened across the gym. Against his will, Judas moved towards it slowly. He found that he could, by resisting, slow his progress. But he couldn't stop himself. The other Dominators were also moving alongside him.

Anthony Ananias was shocked when his son suddenly stood and started walking towards the new fold. He stepped into the path. "Judas?" he asked. "Judas what's going on?" He tried to put a hand on Judas' should to stop him. He was repelled backwards by an unseen force.

"General Stanrych?" Anthony called out to his commander, who was across the room, "We appear to have a problem."

Still struggling, Sandra cried out in fear at what was happening. "It's not us!" she exclaimed.

"It's Neera!" Bess said. "She's calling us back! She wants the Heart!"

"You don't have to obey her!" Anthony said. "Fight back, resist her!"

"Tryin' dad." Judas said. "But it ain't working." He groaned under his breath as the exertion of slowing down his movements took it's toll. He looked straight at his father, eye to eye. "Help us." He said…


	123. Episode TwentyFive Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Five: "Endgame, Part Two" Chapter Two

Kandrakar. Neera dodged left and right, ducked and leapt into the air, trying to avoid the attacks of the newest Guardians. The elemental Guardians still didn't concern her much. They would need to go Zenith to pose a real threat to her, and there didn't seem much reason for them to do so just yet. The Faith and Hope powers wielded by Alchemy and Miranda were a different story. The merest touch of either was exceedingly painful, and the Dark Queen could not discount the possibility that these energies might actually harm her.

And so she did what she could to avoid those powers, even walking into direct hits from the other Guardians when unavoidable. She continued to attack as well, though it was turning out that blasts of pure kinetic force were more effective than dark energy, hindering her options. Miranda's Aura of Hope was sapping the strength of her attacks as well, reducing their range, while Alchemy didn't even have to worry about a friendly fire risk, since her power was harmless to those on the side of justice.

Several times, Neera tried to ensnare a Guardian with a stream of spider silk, but thus far all such attempts had missed. The Dark Queen tried to calm herself. Soon, any moment now, Judas would arrive with the Heart of Zambala. Once it was in her hands, she could free her armies to attack earth and Meridian, distracting the Guardians and thinning their attack. Neera's many stomaches rumbled. "Perhaps Judas will also make a fine meal." She thought…

Sheffield. Harold, Tom, and Dean tried to stop Judas by jumping on him and pulling him down. The triple impact was enough to knock the boy to his knees, but all three men were throw backwards just as Anthony had been. "There's some kind of shield around them." Stanrych said. "This could be a problem."

"A huge problem." Martin said watching from the sidelines. "If Neera gets ahold of that thing, we'll be up to our ears in Varthan soldiers."

As Judas slowly rose to his feet, trying to stop himself, Anthony shouted to him "The Heart! Can you make yourself drop it? Just relax your hand enough to let it fall?"

"I'll try." Judas answered. He focused all of his effort into releasing the Heart, but to no avail. "No good pop." He said. "Hand's clenched up tight."

Miriabelle stared at the fold Neera had opened. A thought was forming in her mind… "Blunk!" she shouted, "Blunk, we need you!"

Blunk peered up from behind a table. "Someone call for Blunk? Blunk at Meridian's service, though keep in mind, Blunk huge coward…"

"We need your help." Miriabelle said, walking over to Blunk. "You've got that tooth. Think you can close Neera's fold?"

Blunk grinned. "Closing door in enemy's face." He said, "Perfect job for coward." He ran over to the fold, and pulled the tooth necklace off. Jumping as high as he could, Blunk swiped the Tonga tooth across the open fold, which collapsed as it went.

A cheer went up across the room, but it was short lived. Moments later, a new fold opened in it's place. Blunk closed that one too, only to have a third fold open. After the fifth try, Miriabelle said "Forget it Blunk. It was worth a shot, but it's not going to work."

Blunk hung his head. "Blunk fail. Very sorry."

"It's not your fault." Susan said to him, "And stop calling yourself a coward too. You've been a big help to our girls. I don't see coward, I see very brave." Blunk blushed a deeper shade of green.

"That's all well and good." General Stanrych said, "But what about them?" He motioned to the Dominators who were still slowly moving towards the latest fold.

Himerish stepped up next to Stanrych. "I am still weakened." He said, "But perhaps I can be of some assistance with what power I do have." He raised one hand, and released a pulse of light green energy which surrounded the Dominators and froze them in place.

"You've done it!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Yes, but not for long, I fear. This will hold for only a few minutes." Himerish answered.

"Then let's get busy thinking up a more permanent solution." Stanrych said.

Outside the Fortress of Infinity, Neera dodged a double blast of Alchemy's power and a massive fireball from Taranee, shot a stream of silk that nearly entangled Irma's legs, and glanced over her shoulder at the still quiet fold she had opened. "What is taking them so long?" she wondered. "If they've failed again I'm eating them all!"

Narrowly avoiding the silk webbing, Irma thought to the other Guardians "What's up with that fold of hers? She's sure getting worried about it."

"And going out of her way to keep it open." Taranee thought as she fired another shot, "Have you seen how fast she reopens it when someone on the other side closes it?"

"She's up to no good, as usual." Will agreed, "But for her to be this obsessed with not letting it stay closed for even a second, it's even more important than usual."

Seeing Neera maneuvering to get closer to the fold, Elyon fired off a light bomb attack, aiming the center of the explosion to detonate in between the Dark Queen and her fold. Having seen what Elyon was doing, Miranda boosted the power of the attack. The resulting explosion created a huge shockwave that damaged a portion of the fortress and threw Neera halfway across the structure.

Determined to reach her goal, Neera began using ropes of silk webbing to cross between balconies, making her way back to where she had been. The Guardians and Matt converged above the fold. "Question?" Cornelia asked, "If she's a Heart, why isn't she just flying around?"

"Good question." Taranee said. "I guess she can't for some reason, though you're right, I would've expected a Heart to be flight-capable."

"Easy answer." Irma said, "Take a look at her. We'd be grounded if our butts were that big too." The Fortress walls echoed with laughter. Realizing they were laughing at her, Neera grumbled with anger…


	124. Episode TwentyFive Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Five: "Endgame, Part Two" Chapter Three

Sheffield Institute. After only a few minutes, the Oracle's spell wore off, freeing the Dominators who began moving towards the fold again. All attempts to stop their progress were for naught, as the force protecting them couldn't be overcome.

As they drew closer to the fold, as all hope seemed lost, suddenly there came a surge of tornado strength winds which blew them backwards, away from the open fold. Students and adults alike looked towards the source of the mysterious wind. Atop the outer wall of the gymnasium, looking down over the top of the rubble, stood Yan Lin. "Mother Lin?" Joan exclaimed.

"Sorry I'm late." Yan Lin said. "And I do mean sorry, it looks like I've missed quite the party. But I had a stop to make on the way. Someone to pick up." From behind her stepped Napoleon and Huggles.

"You're just in time." Tom said. "And a darn good thing too, if they had made it through that fold we would've been in a world of hurt."

From across the room, Judas said "Don't celebrate yet. We're still moving." Everyone looked to see the Dominators on their feet and moving towards the fold again. "I think you bought us about three minutes lady." He added.

Kandrakar. In spite of their best efforts, the Guardians had failed to prevent Neera from reaching the entrance to the fold. Impatient, she stuck one hand through…

When the monstrous black hand emerged from the fold, everyone in the gym froze. They saw Neera impatiently motion for the Heart. "Now what?" Sandra exclaimed.

"She's gonna be totally p.o.'ed at us is now what." Uriah said fearfully. "First she gets the Heart, then she gets us for dinner."

Napoleon casually strolled up to the fold. "I've got a funny idea." He said, causing half the eyes in the gym to switch from the scary hand to the talking cat, "And by funny, I mean the look on Neera's face is gonna be hilarious." He changed into his Regent form, then said "Anyone here have a crystal necklace they don't mind maybe losing?"

Elizabeth stepped forward, offered up her own necklace. "Will this do?"

"Real diamond." The cat said. "You sure you wanna risk it?"

"For my daughter, absolutely."

"Alright then." Napoleon said, accepting it. "Kor, ready?" Huggles jumped down from Yan Lin's shoulder and transformed. Holding the necklace tightly, Napoleon dangled the diamond gemstone down into Neera's waiting hand…

Showing a measure of her true strength, Queen Neera continued to battle the Guardians single handed, the other hand still thrust into the fold. She shot streams of silk, blasts of dark energy, and kinetic waves, as well as shielding herself with her armor and other powers.

"Whatever's on the other side of that fold, she wants it bad." Will thought.

"She's doing fine on her own." Cassidy thought sourly, "What could be so important?" Together, Will and Cassidy fired electrical energy that Neera swiped away with little effort.

As she was preparing a huge blast of fire, Taranee suddenly realized what Neera had to be after. Before she could inform the others, though, the Dark Queen let out a terrible laugh. "I have it!" Neera shouted. "It is mine, and with it the victory!" She pulled back, but met resistance. "Foolish child! Neera said, "Do you really think you can counter my strength?"

Neera pulled again, hard. Her hand came back through the fold, with a diamond necklace, and a very large, very angry cat. "Boo." Napoleon said, and laughed as he and Kor jumped onto the Dark Queen's back in full attack mode.

Cornelia stared at the new arrivals. "What in the world?" she exclaimed, "When did you get here? Who's watching Lillian?"

"Priorities Corny." Irma thought. "More firepower's a good thing."

As they had done with one of Neera's giant insects months earlier when rescuing Miranda from Varthan, Napoleon and Kor grabbed the Dark Queen's arms and pulled back, exposing the place where her armor was weakest. Matt and all of the Guardians opened fire on the convenient target.

Neera roared in pain and fury as the massed attack struck home. She shook hard, throwing the two Regents off of her back, then stared in surprise at the diamond necklace before casting it aside. "You only delay the inevitable." She said. Neera then began shooting streams of silk, dozens of them, in all directions. The Guardians and Regents dodged as best they could, but with so many shots filling the skies it was only a matter of time before someone would get caught…

As the Dominators drew closer to the fold once more, General Stanrych came and stood next to Yan Lin. "Can you do that again?" he asked. "If so, we could slow them down indefinitely."

"I'm afraid not General." She answered. "Former Guardians do keep their powers, but only at a much decreased level. It'll be hours before I could muster another attack like that."

Stanrych cursed under his breath. "It was a thought anyway." He said.

Watching with growing horror as his son and the other Dominators approached the fold, Anthony had a sudden thought. He ran to the General's location and said "Sir, I have a plan, but there's not enough time to explain it. Permission to take action?"

"I trust your judgment Captain." Stanrych answered. "Whatever you've got in mind, permission is granted."

"Thank you sir." Anthony replied. He saluted, then ran towards Judas, but surprised everyone by continuing on past his son and leaping into the fold to Kandrakar.

Stanrych and Yan Lin looked at each other. "Okay. I didn't see that coming." The General said.

"I did." Yan Lin answered. "I think I know what he's up to. And it's not a bad plan, though it will temporarily deprive the Guardians of Neera's greatest weakness…"

"I hope it's worth it."

"It should be." Yan Lin said. "We'll see soon enough…"


	125. Episode TwentyFive Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Five: "Endgame, Part Two" Chapter Four

As Neera continued to shoot webbing at the Regents and Guardians, Anthony Ananias emerged from the fold behind her. Neera heard the sound of his arrival and turned, expecting to find Judas with the Heart of Zambala. "Another interloper?" she exclaimed when she saw Anthony instead. "Once Kandrakar is firmly in my control, the first thing I'm doing is putting locks on the door…"

Anthony ducked, dodged, and weaved his way free as Neera tried to capture him. He narrowly avoided the first few strikes, then tripped on a broken piece of marble and fell. Anthony briefly thought he was finished, but before the Dark Queen could grab him Will flew through and pulled him to safety.

While Neera was distracted with Anthony's arrival, Matt saw to Napoleon and Kor, making sure they weren't seriously hurt. The Guardians continued to press the attack against Neera, working to strike her in the weakened area they had all hit together. Of course, Neera was aware of this weak point and didn't make it easy. Taranee played tactician, directing strikes and attempting to coordinate everyone so that at least some attacks would get through to their targets.

Meanwhile, Will flew Anthony into the Fortress and landed next to the fold Blunk had left open earlier. "Are you insane?" She said. "Neera's hungry, you were almost spider-chow."

"I had no choice. We're all in terrible danger. I need the Guardian with healing powers to come back to earth with me." Anthony explained.

"What?" Will said. "Wait, hang on a sec." She opened herself to the link, insuring that all of the Guardians could hear what she heard. 'Okay, everyone's listening. Tell me what you mean."

Anthony spilled everything out as quickly as he could. "Neera's doing something to Judas and the others. They don't have their powers back, but they're shielded so we can't stop them, and moving towards the fold with the Heart Judas still has. They're trying to resist, but it's too strong for them, Judas can't even make his hand open to let the Heart drop out. I came because I knew one of you can heal things. Maybe she can heal this."

"Bad to worse." Cornelia thought. "Al, what do you think?"

"I'm not sure." Alchemy answered. "Elyon said my powers might grow to where I could heal mental and psychological problems, which I guess mind control counts as… But I've not done anything like this."

"Not to mention if Al leaves we lose one of the only two of us that are actually hurting Neera." Taranee added.

"I don't think we have a choice though." Miranda thought. "If Neera gets the Heart of Zambala, we've lost."

"But what if I can't do this?" Alchemy asked.

Irma answered her "Then you can't. You've got to try."

"Go Al." Elyon said. "We'll hold things here until you get back."

"Alright. I'll be back as quick as I can." Alchemy threw one last burst of power at Neera, blinding her briefly, and flew to join Will and Anthony at the fold. Together they returned to earth, while Will rejoined the other Guardians.

Sheffield. Judas stared in shock at the fold his father had vanished into. "I can't believe he did that." He said.

"Your dad's got guts man." Uriah said, "Jumping through knowing he'd land right next to Neera."

"Yeah." Sandra said. "Judas… I think maybe he really does care for you."

Still processing the thought, Judas said nothing in return. A few moments later, Anthony and Alchemy emerged from the other fold. "This way!" Anthony said, and led her towards the Dominators.

Halfway there, Arthur and Paula called out to their daughter, asking if she was unhurt. "I'm fine so far." She answered, "Though I'm not sure if what I'm here to do will work."

Paula put a hand on Alchemy's shoulder. "You healed the principal's leg. You bought a dead bird back to life. Your power is faith Alchemy. Have that faith, and you can do anything."

"Thanks." Alchemy said, now smiling. She turned and ran to catch up with the Dominators, who were now dangerously close to the fold…

In Kandrakar, Neera was taking full advantage of not being attacked with Alchemy's power to press forward her own attack. She dispensed entirely with the blasts of dark energy, instead sending out wave after wave of kinetic force, creating ripples in space that forced the Guardians to keep their distance or pay the price in pain.

Matt was managing to get a few shots through the attacks, but at his range they accomplished little. The Dark Queen laughed at the now feeble attempts to harm her. "Without the faith Guardian, only Miranda poses a genuine threat." She thought. Soon, Neera was distracted from her thoughts by the increasing rumbling of her many stomaches. "I must eat something. Or better yet, someone." She thought. Casting her gaze around, Neera settled on the perfect appetizer.

Alchemy stepped into Judas' path. "Hold on guys." She said. "I can't guarantee this will work, or what it's gonna feel like even if it does."

"Go for it Al." Bess said. "And either way, thanks for coming back for us."

"Anytime." Alchemy said with a grin. She closed her eyes, focused deep inside, to the very core of her powers. Let the magic flow freely, let herself feel the faith in both heart and mind. Alchemy opened her eyes. "Faith!" she exclaimed, and the power surged forth, wrapping around the Dominators, enveloping them, ignoring the shields around them and flowing into them as well…

Will was trying to push her power through Neera's attacks, but even boosted by Miranda's power she wasn't getting anywhere. Suddenly, unexpectedly, Neera stopped the waves of force and leapt directly towards Will's position, spitting a thread of silk webbing as she came. The web caught Will's legs and wrapped around, trapping her.

Having snared her prize, the Dark Queen quickly reeled Will in. "Come!" Neera exclaimed as she drew close, still futilely struggling, "Come and join me for dinner! You're my guest of honor!"

Regents and Guardians watched in fear, realizing what Neera intended to do with Will. "Will!" Matt shouted. He fired a blast of energy at the silk line pulling Will down, but it was undamaged. Neera pulled her prey ever closer…


	126. Episode TwentyFive Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Five: "Endgame, Part Two" Chapter Five

Hearing came back first. "Al? Al can you hear me?" Alchemy heard the voices of her parents and Mrs. Lin, full of concern. She opened her eyes, wondering how she ended up flat on her back.

Sitting up, she asked "What happened?" Then she remembered the Dominators, and why she had returned to earth. Looking around, she asked "Did it work? Are they okay?"

They're fine, thanks to you." Yan Lin answered. She stepped aside, letting Alchemy see the five former Dominators on the floor several feet away. Judas and Courtney were sitting, the rest laying down, but all were conscious.

The Oracle knelt down next to Alchemy. "You succeeded in your task, but it very nearly depleted your powers. You need to rest for a time to recover."

"I don't have that luxury." Alchemy answered, struggling to her feet. "The others need me."

"You'll be no good to them in this condition." Yan Lin said. "At the very least, take a few minutes, sit, drink something with some sugar in it. You need to get some strength back."

Alchemy tried to protest, but felt her feet about to slide out from under her. "Well, maybe I could use that drink." She said. Martin came with a chair which Alchemy plopped down into.

As the Guardians' parents and the counsel stood close around Alchemy, Judas managed to pull himself to his feet with Anthony's help. "Gimme a hand will you?" he said to his father, "I've got somethin' I need to do."

Assisted by Anthony, Judas walked over and got Himerish's attention. He held out the Heart of Zambala, still on it's chain. "I think you're the one I should give this to." He said.

Smiling, Himerish accepted the Heart. "Thank you." He said. "I will keep it safe until it can be returned to Ironwood."

"Good. And, listen, I don't suppose you could apologize to him for me as well? I'm starting to think I've made a lot of mistakes lately." Judas said.

"I'll talk to him." Alchemy said.

Himerish locked eyes with Judas. "We all make mistakes. What matters is that we learn from them. I am pleased to see you may be on the right path to do so…"

As Neera pulled Will ever closer, Matt screamed with frustration. His powers were of no use in severing the silk cord binding Will. As he was about to rush headlong regardless of the consequences, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Not so fast mate." Raythor said, "I've got a plan." Matt leaned in close as Raythor quickly explained.

"Let's do it." Matt said.

Will struggled to get free but the webbing held her tightly. Then, moments before she would have been in the Dark Queen's grasp, the attack came: Sandpit surged in, sliding under Neera's feet, changing his form into thousands of small, hard balls of sand totally covering the floor. Neera began to slip and slide on top of the spheres. Then came Matt and Raythor, charging hard, ramming into Neera, pushing her backwards. As they pushed, Sandpit moved as well, ensuring that while Neera was standing on, for all purposes, ball bearings_, they_ had clear floor to use.

With the Dark Queen distracted, Taranee, helped by Cassidy mimicking her fire powers, was finally able to burn through the silk strand and free Will. "Thanks guys." Will said as they pulled her free and worked to unwind the webbing around her legs.

Meanwhile, Matt and Raythor, now joined by Napoleon and Kor, continued pushing Neera back. All of a sudden, Neera had no more floor; she had been pressed back all the way over the edge of the balcony. She fell with an ear-splitting scream. As Sandpit reformed behind them, Raythor said "Wasn't so hard."

Having freed Will's legs, the other Guardians came and stood next to the Regents. "It can't be this easy." Irma said.

"Agreed." Elyon answered. "Even if Neera can't fly, she's bound to have another ace up her sleeves."

Moments later, a think strand of silk shot past them all, anchoring itself to the Fortress wall. "And there you have it." Irma said. "Told you so." Together, Taranee, Will, and Cassidy, boosted by Miranda's power and helped by Matt, tried to burn through the cord, but nothing happened.

"She's made this one stronger. Only natural seeing as her life depends on it." Will said.

Hay Lin said "I'll be right back." She flew out over the balcony edge and down. After several minutes she returned. "She's coming alright. As far down as she is, and as slowly as she's climbing, we've got about ten minutes before she makes it back."

"So now what do we do?" Cornelia asked.

"There's always Zenith." Will answered. "But losing control, I hate to take the risk."

"Maybe we don't have to lose control." Elyon said. Everyone stared at her. "I think it's time I told you guys something…"

Before Elyon could begin, Miranda said "We'll need Al for this. I'll go get her since I already know what Elyon's gonna tell you." She then flew up towards the giant fold.

"What have you been hiding from us El?" Cornelia asked.

Taking a deep breath, Elyon began "Okay, it's like this…"

When Miranda made it back to the school, Alchemy was still seated, finishing an energy drink Martin had produced from somewhere. "So this is where I find you." Miranda said, "Lounging around while the rest of us work." Both girls laughed, the Miranda continued "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're good here now. And I think I'm okay now as well." Alchemy replied. She stood and handed the empty can back to Martin.

"That's good, because we need you, now. It's time." Miranda said.

Alchemy looked at Miranda, her expression serious. "Omega?" she asked.

"Omega." Miranda confirmed.

Alchemy tested her wings, found she had enough strength to fly again. "Then let's do it." She said. Together, they flew up towards the fold to Kandrakar…


	127. Episode TwentySix Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Six: "Omega" Chapter One

Queen Neera, Dark Heart of Varthan, grumbled and cursed under her breath as she slowly climbed the thick silk rope leading back up to the Fortress of Infinity. She had planned this attack on Kandrakar for seven millennia. Seven thousand years of planning and plotting and scheming, carefully identifying and testing loopholes in the rules which bound her existence, seven thousand years of assembling the perfect plan, all the while pretending to care only about her own world so as to not draw attention to herself ahead of schedule. And now this. The plan finally set in motion, only to encounter one unanticipated setback after another.

Not that she was worried. Accepting the possibility of ultimate defeat was not in the Dark Queen's capacity. She would return to the fortress and force the Guardians to transform into their Zenith forms, at which time she could take control of them. Then, they would obey her commands, freeing Garix and delivering to her the Heart of Zambala. All the infinite worlds would then bow to her as Queen, except for Earth and Meridian. Those she now intended to destroy, for all the grief they had given her.

Reaching the Fortress at last, Neera grabbed hold of a lower balcony and pulled herself over the outer railing. She looked up and nearly laughed with excitement. In the sky above, framed by the enormous fold looking down on the doomed earth, she saw the Guardians, all nine of them, flying in formation. Enormous amounts of power radiated from them, confirming to the Queen's senses that she was about to get what she wanted: They were preparing to change into their pure elemental forms, Zenith. "As soon as the change is complete, they will be at my mercy, unable to resist me." Neera thought.

But as the Dark Queen continued to watch, things didn't unfold as she expected. There was a brilliant flash of light, pure and crystalline and blindingly bright. Neera was forced to turn her head and shield her eyes to avoid being blinded. When she looked again, her jaw dropped open in disbelief. "How can this be?" she wondered, and for the first time in eons of life, Queen Neera felt a tiny twinge of fear…

Earlier, while Neera was still a great distance below and just beginning her climb, the Guardians stood looking to Elyon, waiting for her explanation of what she had planned. "Okay," she said, "It's like this… Remember back when Cthulu attacked the city, and the Oracle told us that the very first generation of Guardians had been more powerful than any group since?"

"Yeah." Irma said, "But he said they didn't know why."

Elyon answered "Right. But, when I was communicating with them during the construction of the Heart of Meridian Aura Mirrors, I found out that that's only half true. The counsel knows _what_ the first Guardians could do that made them more powerful. They just don't know _why_ they were able to do it when no one else since has been able to."

"Okay, I'll bite." Taranee said. "What were they able to do?"

"Reach full Zenith-level power without transforming out of human form or losing control of themselves." Elyon replied.

Five Guardians stared at the Meridian Queen in shock. "Are you serious?" Cornelia asked. "If we could do that…"

"…We could probably equal or out-power Neera and end this." Will finished.

Irma said "But the counsel doesn't know why or how it was done."

"That's where M.A.C.E. comes in." Elyon said. "The counsel put a special addition in the Meridian aura mirrors. If it works, we, all of us, will be able to do what the first Guardians did. Halinoor and Alfor called it 'Omega.' The ultimate Guardian power level."

"Of course it might not work at all. It's untested after all." Cassidy said. "That's why we agreed with El to not bring it up until we had to."

"If this doesn't work, what could go wrong? Could this thing totally backfire and leave us powerless with Neera still coming?" Cornelia asked.

"No. Honestly if it doesn't work the more likely bad outcome is that we just go into Zenith permanently." Elyon answered.

After a few silent moments in which each girl contemplated the consequences of things going badly, Irma spoke up. Quoting Bill Murray from the first Ghostbusters movie, she said "I love this plan! I'm excited to be a part of it!"

"Then let's begin." Cassidy said. She pointed up. "Here's Al and Miranda now. Perfect timing."

"Lead the way El." Will said, "What do we need to do?"

Elyon explained, "Okay, Al, Miranda and Cass will form a triangle around us and combine their powers to form a field of positive emotional energy. Once it's established, we all fly in and let the powers build as if we were transforming to Zenith. That's all there is to it, the field should do the rest."

Alchemy, Cassidy and Miranda flew high into the sky and started the first step of the process. Combining the powers of Faith, Hope, and Empathy, they created a glowing sphere, filled with light and positive energy.

Below, Matt looked Will in the eyes. "I guess it's time. I wish you didn't have to do this."

"Me too." Will said. "But it's the only way."

"I know. Good luck." Matt said. They kissed.

Raythor stood near Elyon. "I wish I could talk you out of this your Majesty." He said.

"So do I." Elyon answered.

Irma glanced over at Raythor. "See you on the other side Ray." She said.

Cornelia slapped Irma on the back of the head. "No more Bill Murray quotes." She said.

Joined by the newest Guardians once the energy sphere was stable, the girls flew straight into the sphere, calling forth their full powers as they went. Each timed her entrance to coincide with the precise moment her powers reached the maximum Zenith level. The sphere erupted with light and power, so much so that even on earth, beyond the fold, the light was brighter than the heart of the sun.

The brilliant shine lasted for nearly a minute. Within, the Guardians felt themselves undergoing a change similar to what they experienced when the Heart transformed them to normal Guardian mode. There was a sense of calm, of peace, and each could feel her powers growing ever stronger…


	128. Episode TwentySix Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Six: "Omega" Chapter Two

Sheffield. Everyone was forced to turn away and cover their eyes when the pulse of light shone through the fold. Parents and friends of the Guardians feared the worst, having witnessed what looked like a terrible explosion. As the glow faded, Susan was the first to look. She was in awe. "Will?" she wondered. "Dean! Dean look! You have to see this!" she exclaimed. "All of you, take a look at this!"

Slowly, Dean and the parents of the other Guardians uncovered their eyes and looked upwards, as did the counsel and the girls' boyfriends. "Is… Is that Cornelia?" Elizabeth asked.

"It sure is." Tom answered. "And look, that's Irma!"

"They are successful." Himerish said.

"Successful at what?" Anna Lair asked him, "What has happened to them?"

"They have reached the peak of their power." Himerish answered. "They have passed beyond the elemental Zenith and attained the Omega point. With the aid of the Heart of Meridian, they have become the first Guardians to attain this since, well, the _first_ Guardians."

Kandrakar. Above the Fortress, nine Guardians floated in their new Omega forms. Just as the Heart caused them to grow older when they transformed normally, this new form was also older in appearance, each Guardian now appearing to be in her early twenties. Will looked at Miranda and saw that the girl looked just like the Miranda she had seen in her vision. She realized that she must look like the older Will she had seen.

Their Guardian outfits were much the same, though in each case there was now a long, ankle-length dress, split most of the way up on the sides. Each also now wore a tiara on her head, with distinctly colored stones corresponding to her powers. Matching the stones, an aura of power glowed all around each of them.

Looking herself over, Cornelia said "Awesome! Looks like I grow up nice."

"Ugh." Irma said, "Even in the middle of an apocalyptic fight she finds time to fawn over herself."

While most of the girls laughed, Alchemy said 'Yeah, but she has a point. I, for one, am glad to see I'll eventually grow out of short and gawky."

"Compare notes on looks later." Taranee said, "Bug-ugly's back." She pointed to Neera, climbing over the balcony railing.

"Alright ladies," Will said, pounding a fist into the opposite hand, "let's see what these forms can do…"

Neera tensed for a rough battle as she saw the Guardians diving straight for her. She fired off a massive blast of dark energy, a black orb pulsing with hate and despair. The Guardians plowed through it like it wasn't even there. The Dark Queen began to consider options for strategic retreat, but she was surrounded on all sides.

Will reached out to fire a blast of electricity from her hands. Instead, a full strength bolt of lightning thundered out of the clear sky, striking Neera squarely in the back. "Whoa!" Will exclaimed, staring at her hands, "Did you guys see that!"

"Sure did." Hay Lin answered. 'Let's see what I can do!" She called on the winds, and got not a gale but the force of a hurricane blasting across the Fortress. Neera was picked up and tossed a great distance.

Neera shot a strand of webbing, which wrapped around Cornelia's legs and lower body. The silk was as strong as the strand the Guardians had earlier been unable to damage at all, but this time Taranee burned through it with little difficulty. Meanwhile, the Earth Guardian simply laughed as she telekinetically unraveled the strand from herself and sent it flying down to wrap around Neera instead.

Furious, Neera ripped free of the web and roared at the top of her lungs. "Enough! I'll stand no more interference!" she exclaimed. As the Guardians looked on, she began to grow larger and larger, until she was nearly the size Cedric had grown to months earlier. "Scared yet? How will you stop me now?"

Irma just smirked and said "We've seen bigger."

"And besides, the bigger you are, the harder you fall." Taranee said. She then thought "Will, Irma, listen up. Combination attack time. Irma, pull us up some water, englobe Neera in it. Will, hit the water with lightning. I'll take it from there…"

On earth, the adults continued to watch as Irma and Will put the first part of Taranee's plan into motion. "Excellent." General Stanrych said. "They're thinking ahead, working together. This could work."

"What could work?" Theresa Cook asked. "What are they doing?"

Before Stanrych could speak, Martin answered for him "Electricity splits water into it's component elements. Those component elements are hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and oxygen are, as I'm sure you already know, highly _explosive_…"

Stanrych continued "Exactly. A little spark from the Fire Guardian and Queen Neera will find herself at ground zero of a nasty blast."

As they watched, Taranee added the spark. The mass of explosive gasses detonated with a mighty rumble heard all the way through the fold on earth. When the smoke cleared, there was no sign of Neera. "Was that it?" Harold Hale asked. "Did they get her?"

"Not quite." Alfor said. "Look, she's there, thrown clear to the far side of the fortress."

"She looks in bad shape, but she's still moving."

"The end draws near." Himerish said. "As the Air and Water Guardians learned to combine powers to unleash more effective attacks, so Water, Fire, and Quintessence have now done as well. And with time, they will discover additional combinations."

"Why don't you just tell them how to combine their powers for more effectiveness?" Dean asked.

"I could. But it is better for their confidence if they figure these things out for themselves. And in battle confidence is most important." Himerish answered.

"Still," Halinoor said, "Perhaps I should give them a push in the right direction on this one." She looked to the Oracle, who nodded his agreement…

Queen Neera pulled herself to her feet. Tested her legs and found three of the eight broken. Five was enough. It would have to be. Smoke continued to boil off of her charred exoskeletal armor, which was totally burned through in many places.

She looked up, but didn't see the Guardians. Yet. They would be coming, though. "Very well then." She thought to herself, "Last stand. When they arrive, it's death for them or me. And it won't be me…"


	129. Episode TwentySix Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Six: "Omega" Chapter Three

As the Guardians prepared to pursue Queen Neera to the opposite side of the Fortress, Cassidy heard a familiar voice speaking into her mind. "Halinoor?" she asked, "How are you doing this?"

"Our old link no longer works since I am not a Guardian." Halinoor answered, "But as the Empathy Guardian you have the power to communicate telepathically with anyone. I wasn't sure if it would work across dimensions, but with the great fold open in the sky, it seemed like a worthwhile chance."

"Cool. So, is this a business call, or personal? 'Cause we're kind of busy right now."

Halinoor answered "Business. You might want to have the other Guardians listen in on this."

"Done. Go ahead."

"Listen carefully then." Halinoor began, "Raythor had the right idea in trying to push Neera over the edge of the Fortress. If she is unable to catch herself and climb back up, it will mean her doom."

"What? You mean she'll fall to the planet below and crash?" Cornelia asked. "As tough as she is, I'm not sure a fall would do her in."

"I guess it depends on how high up we are. Which I've actually been wondering about. Just how high above the surface is the Fortress anyway, that we can't even see the ground when we look down?" Taranee asked.

Halinoor answered, "That's where I'm going with this Taranee. You cannot see the planet below because there is no planet below…"

Confused, Will asked "How is that possible?"

"Yeah, without a planet, where's the gravity coming from? What's keeping the atmosphere together?" Alchemy wondered.

In answer, Halinoor said "It is a long story, so I will tell you only the pertinent details. Long ago, after Xan Jing became the Heart of Kandrakar, the Heart first went to the Emperor. However the counsel of that time, led by the man who would be the first Oracle, was angered over what had happened to the nymph. They convinced the Emperor to hand the Heart over to them, and for many years all was well."

"In time," Halinoor continued, "The Emperor grew colder and more selfish than ever. He decided he wanted the Heart back, and raised an army to overwhelm the Fortress of Infinity and reclaim it. When the army failed, the Emperor himself came, and attacked with an ancient and forbidden spell. Unfortunately, it turned out that the spell he chose was forbidden for a reason: It was wild magic, powerful and uncontrollable. The spell destroyed it's caster, and the resulting maelstrom of reckless magic consumed the entire planet before it was stopped through the Heart's power."

"Whoa…" Taranee murmured. "Bad news. I hope that spell's forgotten for good."

"It is." Halinoor said. "But getting to the point, in the aftermath only three things remained of Kandrakar. First, the Fortress, second, the atmosphere, held in place by a magical force field, and third…" She paused for a moment, then continued "Miles below you, positioned at the very center of what used to be the planet's inner core, is what remains of the wild magic's power. A singularity."

Taranee asked "Singularity? You mean like a black hole?"

"Conceptually the same, yes." Halinoor answered. "Though this singularity is mystical instead of physical."

Miranda snapped her fingers. "I get it! If Neera falls and can't make it back to the Fortress, she'll fall all the way to the singularity, and when she touches it it'll pull her in and destroy her!" The other Guardians stared at her, surprised that she had put it all together. "What?" Miranda said looking at Will, "Unlike some of us, I pay attention when Tara's tutoring me."

Will was stunned silent for several seconds, then broke into laughter. "Alright, let's do it." She said.

"Thanks Hallie." Cassidy thought.

"Any time old friend." Halinoor answered back.

Neera was taken by surprise. The Guardians came by teletransiting into position all around her, rather than flying in from above. Irma and Will herded the Dark Queen into position by pretending to be preparing the explosive attack that had injured her before.

As Neera dodged the attacks and fired back in return, She suddenly realized someone was directly behind her. She turned to see Cassidy and Alchemy. Cassidy mimicked both Will and Irma to also press Neera in the right direction, while Alchemy fired energy at her.

Soon, Neera was near the edge of the Fortress. Before she even had time to realize the danger, Cornelia used her powers to tilt the entire balcony on edge. Neera slipped, began to fall, and grabbed onto a railing with one hand while firing dark energy with another. She was unable to hold on long. Elyon's own light-based attacks were just too much to handle. When they struck the hand Neera was holding on with, she was forced to let go.

Falling, Neera shot a thick, strong strand of silk to anchor herself to the Fortress, as she had done before. Halting her fall, the Dark Queen breathed a sigh of relief… Then screamed as Omega powered Will severed the cord effortlessly.

Again and again, Neera tried to connect a line to the Fortress, but it was no use. One Guardian or another cut each one, and each time she fell a little further. It took time, but eventually a silk line, extended to Neera's maximum range, didn't make it all the way to the Fortress bottom. She fell, cursing Kandrakar, the Guardians, and the Counsel.

Watching Neera fall out of view, Hay Lin said "I'll bet it's probably danger even being near this magic black hole thing, but I just can't let this go here. If we don't watch all the way down, she could escape through a fold or something and we'd never know."

"You're right." Will said. "At least one of us needs to follow and confirm how it ends."

After a moment's pause, Irma said "Aw who are we kidding? We all know we're all going."

The Guardians made a rapid dive to catch up with the falling Queen…


	130. Episode TwentySix Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Six: "Omega" Chapter Four

Down, down, down… Queen Neera fell and the Guardians followed, intent on ensuring that she didn't escape through a fold. For miles and miles they continued directly towards the center of what was once the planet Kandrakar. By all rights Neera's fall should have reached a terminal velocity and stopped accelerating, but as the Singularity at the world's center pulled ever harder she continued to plummet with ever greater speed.

Even with their ability to fly, the Guardians felt the massive gravitational pull from the mystical singularity growing stronger the further they descended. By the time it came into view, a deceptively tiny pinpoint of darkness, Neera was growing desperate. In her mind, she quickly considered options, and found only one that might save her and also keep her in Kandrakar. "By this point," the Dark Queen thought, "I have manipulated them so much that they expect me to be one step ahead… If I can make them think I _wanted_ to fall into the Singularity for some reason, they'll save me themselves."

"Victory is mine!" Neera shouted. "Fools! The power of the singularity will now be mine!"

Will and Miranda exchanged a look, and then the latter said "Wow. I'm actually ashamed for you that's so pathetic."

"Yeah," Irma said, "How stupid do you think we are?"

Neera spat out a curse and tried to open a fold in her path, but before she could fall into it the Singularity pulled it in and destroyed it. Seeing this, the Guardians stopped descending and watched from their current vantage point.

Contact. One moment, Neera had not yet reached the event horizon. The next, she had. The Dark Queen let out a shriek so loud it rattled windows on earth as the singularity pulled her in irresistibly. Though it was quite small physically, the event horizon's diameter being less than three inches, Neera was rapidly consumed.

At the last moment, five brightly shining orbs of light shot forth out of Neera's body, overcame the gravity field, and flew rapidly upwards towards the Fortress. Then, the last of Neera vanished forever.

Watching Neera disappear, Irma commented "It's like a freaky roach motel. 'Spider Singularity. Kills bugs dead.'"

Then, the shining orbs flew past the Guardians. "Okay, that could be good or bad." Hay Lin said. "I think we'd better follow." As they began the flight back to the Fortress, Will looked straight up. In the skies above, the great fold was closing…

Sheffield. As the fold in the sky started to close, all of the girls' parents began bombarding the Oracle with questions about what was happening. "Be calm, and of good cheer." He replied, "The Guardians have succeeded. Queen Neera is no more."

As a cheer went up all across the gymnasium, Elizabeth asked "So now what? When can we expect them to come back?"

"Soon enough." Halinoor said. 'Within the hour, certainly. But first, with the threat of Neera removed it is time we returned to the Fortress."

As the Counsel moved towards the fold Blunk had left open, Joan Lin ask if they could come as well. Himerish answered "It is best if you remain here for now. However, you will all be welcome soon…"

In Kandrakar, the Guardians made it back to the Fortress just behind the orbs of light that had flown out of Neera. As they landed on a balcony, Taranee said "Whew! Remind me to never go anywhere near that thing again. I don't think I would've had the strength to get away from it in normal Guardian mode."

"Me either." Cornelia agreed.

As the Guardians, now rejoined by Raythor and the Regents looked on, the orbs of light were hovering over the floor in a circle. The broken shards of the crystal Judas had trapped Neera in levitated up off of the floor and reformed into a single gem again. The orbs then flowed into this gemstone, which continued to hover in place.

As they approached and stood around the gem, Will asked "What is it?"

"I… I think this is the Heart of Varthan now." Elyon answered.

"So we failed then?" Irma asked. "Bug-ugly's back in the gem again?"

From behind, a familiar voice answered "Not at all. Queen Neera is dead and gone. This is simply the Heart of Varthan power which she controlled until her death." The Guardians looked to see Himerish and the Counsel approaching. "The power is now free to be entrusted to a new bearer, who will hopefully lead Varthan into a brighter future."

"New bearer?" Alchemy asked. "I'm sorry, but shouldn't you lock this thing up so nobody else gets ahold of it?"

"Yeah," Will agreed, "It's like pure concentrated evil isn't it?"

"No world's Heart is evil… …or good… …of it's own accord." Luba answered. "it is made so by the intentions of it's bearer."

"But Varthan is such a horrible placed…" Hay Lin said.

"For now." Himerish said, "But think of it this way; Remember the damage that Prince Phobos was able to inflict on Meridian during his reign, even though he ruled only a few years and didn't even have a Heart's power. Neera was ancient. Primordial. She was born with her world, and has ruled over it since it first formed out of a nebula many billions of years ago."

"Lots of time to make it the way it was then." Taranee said.

Alfor said "Exactly, but now she is gone. And with her passing a new age begins for Varthan."

"So what happens now?" Cornelia asked.

"For now," Himerish said, "You all need to go home. Rest. Celebrate. You've earned both. There is much to do, and many loose ends to tie up of course, but that is our job rather than yours. We will summon you back when your part in the rebuilding is ready."

Will pulled out the Heart, planning to return the Guardians to normal, but Halinoor stopped her. "I wouldn't do that quite yet. If this is anything like the original Guardian's Omega you'll be flat-out exhausted when you revert. Better to wait until you're back with your families."

"Thanks for the warning." Will smiled. "Let's go guys. We've got a disaster of our own to get back to. The big reveal and all…"

After the Guardians and Regents had departed, Halinoor turned to the Oracle and asked "How long until you are ready?"

"We'll call them back tomorrow, after they've rested. That should be soon enough to preserve the secret and prevent future issues arising from this day's events…"


	131. Episode TwentySix Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Twenty-Six: "Omega" Chapter Five

When the Guardians and Regents returned to Sheffield, a great cheer went up from everyone present. The girl's parents rushed to them, ecstatic that they were okay, and that the troubles were over, at least for now.

Susan embraced Will, then stepped back and took a close look at her. "Wow." she said. "You look… um…"

Grinning, Will answered "Thanks. I think it's pretty cool."

"It is, but for now I think I'd still like my little girl back."

"I'll change us back after everyone's done celebrating. Halinoor says we'll be dead-tired when we power down from this." Will said.

"See?" Irma asked her mother, "What'd I tell you? Piece of cake."

Anna stared at Irma for a moment, then threw her arms around the girl. Tom reached around to embrace them both. "Irma, I'll never get used to any of this. But I'm still very proud of you." Anna said.

Taranee and Cassidy found Lionel and Theresa on the outskirts of the crowd. Lionel looked at Cassidy and said "So what's this I hear about my son proposing to you?"

Shocked, Taranee's head spun towards Cassidy "He What! Why didn't you tell me?"

"And have you distracted in the big fight?" Cassidy answered, "Not a chance."

Laughing, Lionel said "Well, welcome to the family I guess. Something tells me things are gonna get very interesting."

With a raised eyebrow, Theresa said "More interesting than magic and monsters?"

Lionel looked at Cassidy, thought for a moment, and replied "I stand by my statement." Everyone in hearing range laughed.

Cornelia's parents found her with Caleb. "No time for the folks huh?" Harold asked as they approached.

"Sorry." Cornelia answered. "Caleb was there, had to be sure he was okay."

"We understand." Elizabeth said. Looking her daughter over, she then asked "So how long does this last?"

"'Til Will changes us back. Which I'm sure she'll do any minute now. I'm in no rush, I like it." Cornelia said. Flipping her hair, she added "Plus, now I know for sure I've got a modeling career in my future."

Hay Lin met her parents and grandmother near the musician's stage. Both parents fawned over her, to her considerable embarrassment. "Mom, dad, we're in public!" she whispered.

Joan simply answered "Then the public will know you're loved." and then hugged even tighter.

When they finally let go, Yan Lin stepped in close and said "Some good news. After the big fold closed, before you came back, We talked with your classmates and got them to agree to keep quiet about who the Guardians and Regents are. Even the Dominators agreed."

"Will that work?" Hay Lin wondered, "You know how people can be. Someone's bound to talk sooner or later."

"Maybe." Yan Lin said cryptically, "Or maybe we only need them quiet for a little while…"

Alborn and Miriabelle embraced Elyon upon her return. "I'm just glad everyone is alright." the Queen said. "Let the worst come, as long as we can weather it together."

"Well said." Alborn replied.

Miriabelle looked around, and said "It looks like the rescue workers will be getting through the rubble soon. You girls had better change back to normal."

Alchemy's parents held her close, though not to quite the embarrassing degree the Lins had with Hay Lin. Though she wouldn't admit it, Alchemy found the presence of her mother and father comforting after all that had happened.

Paula said "You know, I think I'm getting better. I actually took knowing that you were on another world fighting against some kind of ultra-death-spider pretty well."

"You'll be alright." Alchemy said. "You had a bad shock when the whole Garix thing happened. But, in the end… In the end, where do you think I got what it took to have this power from? That'd be you."

Paula smiled as she continued to hold her daughter close…

Miranda and Gideon sat next to each other on a fallen steel roof strut. "I hope this doesn't mean things have to change for us." He said to her.

"Things will change. They'll have to, at least a little." Miranda answered. "But that's okay. I've gotta be the poster child for change being good." she laughed.

"Tell me about it?" Gideon asked.

"I will, but this isn't the time, or the place." Miranda said. Just then, they heard Will calling for everyone to come to her. "See?" Miranda said. "Always a distraction."

When everyone was together, Will said "Time to change back." She looked at the watching parents and added "Like I already told my mom, we'll probably be to tired to move after I do this. We'll need a hand." She then held out the Heart, which reabsorbed it's powers and returned the Guardians to normal. Immediately, they grew weak legged and nearly fell. Will and Alchemy, in fact, would have fallen over had Dean and Arthur not been there to catch them.

Soon, chairs were gathered for the girls to rest in while they all waited for the official rescue teams to finish digging an escape route out of the ruined gym. The Regents returned to normal as well.

After only a few more minutes, the army rescue team finished the tunnel out. General Stanrych was upset but not surprised to see the first men into the gym were not medics, but the three mysterious "higher ups" he had dealt with days earlier. They demanded to know what had happened, so the General gave them a condensed version of events. When he finished, there was only one question: "And where did the Guardians go?"

"I have no idea." Stanrych answered. "They never came back from that other world. I presume they're still there." Disappointed, the men left as the all clear was given for the civilians to clear out.

As the Guardian's families helped them out, Will said to Dean and Susan "You mind if I ask one thing?"

"Go ahead Will." Susan answered.

"I'll be asleep before we get home. I know you can't hear machines like I can, but they can hear you just fine… Please tell my alarm that if she goes off, at all, she'll regret it…"

Dean laughed. "Don't worry Will. I'll do you one better and just unplug it."

"Even better." Will murmured. She was asleep the moment she fell into the back seat of the car…

Author's Note One:

As noted in the prologue, I've never read the comics and know nothing of them except for the Oracle's name. Therefore, the things I've wrote about Kandrakar's past may not be accurate in light of them. Apologies if so.

Author's Note Two:

And there it is! The last full episode at last! Don't give up on me just yet though, there's gonna be a short epilogue before I hit the 'complete' button. Look for it in two-three days.


	132. Epilogue One

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Epilogue One: "Five Hearts Attuned"

After sleeping nearly nineteen hours, Will Vandom awoke in her bed at six in the afternoon. She looked over to her alarm clock which was unplugged. "Thanks Dean." she thought, "No way she would've stayed quiet this long any other way." Will plugged the clock back in and ignored the storm of indignant protests from it as she walked away.

When the girl made her way into the living room, Susan couldn't resist making a "She lives!" joke. This was followed quickly by "How are you feeling?"

"Thanks for letting me sleep." Will answered. "Honestly, I could go right back in there and sleep 'til morning but I'm hungry too."

"There's pizza in the kitchen." Dean said. "Should still be warm."

"Excellent." Will said with a grin. As they headed for the kitchen, though, something unexpected happened. A fold opened in the hallway in front of them and, like only one fold Will had seen before, moved to draw the family in…

Kandrakar. The fold deposited Will, Dean, and Susan on the floor of an undamaged balcony. "That was rather abrupt." Susan said. "Why are we here?"

"I think we've been summoned." Will answered.

From behind, a familiar voice replied "You're not the only ones." Will turned to see the remaining Guardians, their parents, Yan Lin, The Regents, Peter, Martin, Caleb, and inexplicably Principal Nickelbocker.

"Welcome." Halinoor said as she approached them. "Please, follow me. I will take you to the Oracle."

Halinoor guided them to the Aura Mirror chamber, where they found Himerish floating in the air about three feet off the floor. The Hearts of Varthan and Zambala, as well as the crystal containing Nerissia and the balance of Elyon's power orbited around him in a triangle. When he heard them enter, Himerish opened his eyes and said "Greetings, Guardians and Regents. I have a request to make of you."

"Oracle, what's going on?" Taranee asked.

"Last night's events are problematic." Himerish answered. "Earth having knowledge of the Guardian's existence is acceptable, but widespread knowledge of who the Guardians are is not. It places you and your families at severe risk of coming under attack from various groups seeking to exploit or control you. Therefore, I am preparing to cast a spell which will alter the memories of everyone on earth. Anyone who knows who you really are will forget, filling in the blanks in their memories with whatever explanation works for them."

Theresa didn't like the sound of this. "Hold on!" she said, "Look, as much as it scares me knowing what Taranee does with her life now, it's still better than being in the dark! I don't want to go back to not knowing the truth!"

Will agreed, "Yeah. I mean, sure, before Mom knew the truth I was always freaked out that she might find out. But now that she does know… I kind of like not having to hide things anymore."

"Fear not." Himerish said with a chuckle. "I was speaking quite literally when I said the spell will effect those _on earth_. None of you are on earth right now, are you? Of course, I have chosen to leave the four romantic interests who discovered the truth last night on earth, so they will forget. But that too is for the best. There is no reason you cannot tell them the truth when you are ready. Even as soon as you get back to earth, if you wish. But this way, you'll be able to inform them the right way, of your own accord."

Cornelia said "Okay, but what about the Dominators?"

"They will remember what they were, and that the Guardians saved them. Nothing more." Luba answered.

"Are we ready?" Himerish asked.

"One more question:" Irma said. She pointed at Nickelbocker. "Why is she here?"

"You have another four years of classes in her school do you not?" Himerish said. "I thought perhaps it would solve some difficulties in advance if the Principal knew why you sometimes had to disappear. Now then, if we are ready?"

"What do you need from us?" Will asked.

"This spell is potent." Himerish said. "Five Hearts are needed to power it. If I may temporarily borrow back the powers of the Hearts of Kandrakar and Earth, I will return them as soon as the spell is done."

Will removed the Heart and let go. It joined the three Hearts already circling the Oracle. Matt, Napoleon, and Kor also released their power, which formed a glowing mass of energy. The power of five Hearts spun around Himerish in rapid circles as he used them to cast the spell. It was over remarkably quickly.

As he descended to the floor, Himerish returned the Heart of Kandrakar to Will, and the Earth Heart's power to the Regents. The gem with Elyon's power returned to it's place in the Fortress. "And now for the last two." Luba said. Himerish, Luba, and Halinoor touched the Heart of Zambala which sent out a pulse of energy. "The veil around Varthan is lifted." Luba said. "It's Heart may return home." Even as she spoke, the Heart of Varthan flew into a fold, returning home to seek it's new bearer.

"And the Heart of Zambala shall return to Ironwood." Alfor said. That Heart also vanished into a fold.

"This concludes our business." Halinoor said. "When you are ready, you may return home…"


	133. Epilogue Two

Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Epilogue Two: "Lillian"

Lillian Hale lay in bed wide awake. She wondered where Napoleon was. He usually slept at her feet, after all. She rose and walked to the window, opened the curtains and looked out, tilting her head back to look up at the night sky. She thought of the strange and wonderful thing that had happened a few nights before.

After sensing something odd in the sky overhead, she had ran to the door and went out on the balcony. When she looked up, the sky was filled with a beautiful sight, like a great castle in the clouds. The babysitter, having followed her out, was terrified. Lillian wanted a better look. She had ran to her father's office and grabbed his binoculars. Returning, looking up though them, she saw even more wonders, things she had been thinking on ever sense.

And so now, the young girl looked upwards through her window, but it was only the normal night sky. Returning to bed, she remembered how both Napoleon and Huggles had also felt the strangeness above (They had looked up alongside her) and wondered.

But most importantly, she remembered what she had seen through the binoculars: Her sister, her sister's friends. She knew it had been them. Somehow. As Lillian pulled the covers up and settled back onto her pillows, as she drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were "I've got to confront Cornelia with this…"

"…But, not _quite _yet…"


End file.
